Direct-drive wind turbines

A direct-drive wind turbine, comprising:

• a wind turbine rotor and a generator mounted on a stationary frame, wherein the wind turbine rotor comprises a hub carrying a plurality of blades;
• and
• the generator comprising
• a generator stator comprising an annular track structure and a stator surface connected to the track structure, wherein the stator surface has coil windings, the track structure parallel to and extending from an annular side of the stator surface,
• a generator rotor comprising a plurality of separate carriages linked together one after the other around an entire circumference of the track structure, each carriage in independent running engagement with opposite radial sides of the track structure, wherein the carriages carry an electrically magnetically active material arranged facing the stator surface such that when the carriages run along the track structure a magnetic field is generated across an air gap provided between the magnetically active material of the carriages and the coil windings of the stator structure,
• wherein less than all of the carriages are directly coupled to the wind turbine rotor by one or more separate rigid connectors such that rotation of the wind turbine rotor causes all of the linked together carriages to run along the track structure while isolating the generator stator from rotation;
• and
• wherein the generator stator is affixed directly to and supported by the stationary frame and the generator rotor is supported by the stationary frame via the track structure.