Patent ID: 7042109

Claim:
A wind turbine for generating electrical power from wind energy comprising: a turbine rotor mounted for rotation to be driven by wind, and for converting energy in said wind into rotational energy; a generator coupled with said turbine rotor such that said turbine rotor drives said generator; said generator comprising a stationary air core armature that is located in a magnetic airgap between two generator rotor portions mounted to rotate together on opposite sides of said stationary air core armature, said generator rotor portions comprising circumferential arrays of multiple alternating polarity permanent magnets attached to ferromagnetic back irons such that said permanent magnets drive magnetic flux back and forth between each rotor portion and through said stationary air core armature; said stationary air core armature comprising a substantially nonmagnetic form having a support portion and an enclosed portion, wherein said support portion is connected to stationary support structure of said wind turbine and said enclosed portion extends inside said magnetic airgap; said stationary air core armature further comprising windings of multiple individually insulated conductors that are wound onto said form with two separate portions including an active length portion and an end turn portion; said end turn portion is located outside said magnetic airgap and traverses predominately circumferentially and said active length portion is located in said magnetic airgap and traverses predominately non-circumferentially and perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic airgap, said form reacts electromagnetically induced torque from said active length portions to said stationary support structure at said support portion; whereby, AC voltage is induced in said windings as said wind drives said turbine rotor.