First, I am not an electrical engineer - I am a hobbyist building a prototype linear-stlye generator based on an idea I had which, for various reasons, cannot be built with magnets that pass completely inside of coil(s) like most of the ones I have seen described for wave energy capture and other reciprocating motions. I understand the basic concepts of electromagnetism and have read a great deal, but I can't find anything which describes the factors I would like to know about in any detail.
I did find one company,
Windtronics who have a wind generator that has some of the same constraints as what I am working under. Their 'BTPS' (blade tip power system) has magnets that move past coils in a fixed housing, and since the magnets are attached to the rim of the wind vane assembly, they can't be completely enclosed by the coils.
Unfortunately, none of the drawings I have found of their device clearly show how the magnets and coils are oriented with respect to each other - which is the question I have: How would you orient magnets at the end of a spoke or arm that moves near coils (and what orientation should these coils with respect to the end-of-arm magnets, and how should they be wired together) so that the result has the maximum electrical generation efficiency?
I can envision many possible configurations, but wanted to solicit some expert guidance before wasting a lot of time building something sub-optimal. Any pointers or discussion are welcomed.
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