Test Rig Design and Development for Linear Bearings in Direct Drive Generators

Abstract: To be financially viable, both avoiding excessive downtime and offering continued power generation, the design of a submerged wave energy converter (WEC) must be based around survivability and low maintenance needs. A direct drive linear generator as the power take off (PTO) in a WEC has significant potential advantages towards this through

1. efficiency, operating with matched speed to the device’s source of motion whether it is a wind, wave or tidal device,
    
2. low risk, with reduced number of components in comparison to hydraulic or mechanical systems, and
    
3. cost effectiveness, lower mass and material cost is achieved from an integrated design approach.

A crucial part of thelinear generator’s reliability is the performance of its’ bearings. This work explores how plain contact polymer linear bearings react when tested under conditions that replicate their operation in a WEC.

The content of this paper focuses on the work involved in converting a prototype novel linear generator, the C-Gen machine, into a test rig to determine response of the bearings to submerged, loaded, oscillating operation.