Wind Power Engineering Magazine: Oct 19, 2017. By Paul Dvorak. A small startup in Belgium is finalizing the development of a prototype generator, which is lighter, smaller, and more efficient than conventional designs of similar output. 

De Gentse startup Magnax pakt uit met de volgende generatie elektrische generatoren en motoren. “Onze direct drive axiale flux machine loopt”, zegt oprichter en CTO van Magnax, Peter Leijnen.

Met zijn motorprototype op basis van de Axial Flux-technologie luidt de Belgische start-up Magnax een nieuwe generatie generatoren voor windturbines in. De voornaamste voordelen zijn hogere prestaties, een grotere betrouwbaarheid en een compacter volume. Dit moet u ervan weten

Magnax recently finished the first production prototype of the axial flux direct-drive machine which will be used in the new generation of wind turbines.

Until now, manufacturers of wind turbines and electric machines always had to find a balance between using generators with gearbox (meaning lower weight, but also lower reliability) and direct-drive systems (higher reliability and efficiency, but higher weight).

A new generation of low-weight and highly efficient direct drive motors and generators are on the horizon and they combine the best of both worlds. This new generation of electric machines is based on recent innovations in Axial Flux Technology.