Search

The insertion of permanent magnets (PMs) within the rotor slots of Synchronous Reluctance Machines (SyRM) is the most common design strategy used to increase significantly their performance. In this paper it is shown how a permanent magnet assisted synchronous reluctance machine (PMaSyRM) can be optimized to satisfy all the electromagnetic and structural constraints arising as the maximum operating speed increases. This is done considering a variety PMs material. This work, the second of two companion papers, briefly recalls the novel systematic design approach proposed in Part I, and then describes the characteristics of the optimal machines achieved considering a maximum speed ranging from 1 to 140 krpm with and without the assistance of ferrite and neodymium based PMs. The reasons behind the performance deterioration as the speed increases are all investigated along with the geometrical variations of the optimal designs. The selection of the design solution to be manufactured is justified as well as the final structural and electromagnetic refinement stages leading to the final prototype. All the reported considerations are experimentally validated testing an 8.5kW at 80krpm PMaSyRM, comparing the measured and expected performance in terms of torque and internal power factor.

This paper shares with the aerospace community a case study of turboprop mild hybridisation using a recently developed integrated drive system in the University of Nottingham, UK, within the ACHIEVE project under EU H2020 CleanSky 2 program (project No. 737814). The developed drive system enables green taxiing of a turboprop aircraft while on the ground with its engine off, and as an electrical generator when the turboprop is in the air. The entire system is designed to be able to integrate within the power auxiliary gear box (PAGB) of a turboprop aircraft. Some of the key features of the developed system include a high-speed permanent magnet machine (up to 14,200rpm) with dual three-phase design, SiC-based high power density (11.8kW/L for the power converter, 35.3kW/L and 7.2kW/kg for the machine active parts), integrated cooling design for high-temperature operation (>130ºC ambient temperature), fault tolerance consideration with dual channel operation capabilities and sensorless control for entire operational conditions. This paper is giving an overview of the design process of the electrical machine, power converters, and its cooling of the entire drive. Numerical analysis (FEM and CFD) and some experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and the desired performance of the developed integrated drive system.

Thermal management is often considered a bottleneck in the pursuit of the next generation electrical machines for electrified transportation with a step change in power density. Slot-channel cooling is considered to be an effective cooling technique, either as an independent method or as a secondary heat transfer path which compliments traditional cooling systems. The slot-channel specific geometry and position effects on the thermal benefits are not thoroughly investigated in literature, while previous work focuses on passing fluid through the un-used space left in between coils forming concentrated windings. In this paper, slot-channel cooling is implemented within an oil-flooded cooling system for a high power density motor used as a pump. A flexible and detailed lumped parameter thermal network (LPTN) is proposed for the cooling system, with the LPTN used to optimize the slot-channel dimensions and location for obtaining maximum thermal benefits. Finally, a surface-mount permanent magnet (SPM) machine with the optimized slot channel geometry is built and tested to validate the thermal model, experimentally achieving an armature continuous current density in excess of 30A/mm2.

The slot thermal condition is critical for thermal management of high performance electrical machines, due to the high heat losses and poor heat transfer ability within the slot. With a part of the back-iron projected radially downwards into the slot, back-iron extension (BIE) shortens the heat dissipation path from the slot coil to the back-iron and was proven to be an effective thermal improvement technique. The relationship between BIE thermal benefits and various electrical machines’ parameters remains to be investigated. Based on an existing concentrated-wound machine, the relationship between the equivalent slot thermal conductivity (ESTC) and the back-iron extension effectiveness is researched in this paper. Utilizing a developed 3D thermal model, the equivalent slot thermal conductivity effects on the temperature reduction with BIE are indicated with simulation results and verified with experimental tests. BIE is reported to provide temperature reductions ranging from 48°C down to 18°C across the plausible range of ESTC values considered. Guidelines are given in the final part to suggest the situations under which BIE is more effective.

This paper investigates the influence of the slot/pole (S/P) combination on inter-turn short-circuit (SC) current in fault-tolerant permanent magnet (FT-PM) machines. A 2-D sub-domain field computational model with multi-objective genetic algorithm is used for the design and performance prediction of the considered FT-PM machines. The electromagnetic losses of machines, including iron, magnet, and winding losses are systematically computed using analytical tools. During the postprocessing stage, a 1-D analysis is employed for turn-turn fault analysis. The method calculates self-and mutual inductances of both the faulty and healthy turns under an SC fault condition with respect to the fault locations, and thus SC fault current, considering its location. Eight FT-PM machines with different S/P combinations are analyzed. Both the performance of the machine during normal operation and induced currents during a turn-turn SC fault are investigated. To evaluate the thermal impact of each S/P combination under an inter-turn fault condition, a thermal analysis is performed using finite element computation. It is shown that low-rotor-pole-number machines have a better fault tolerance capability, while high-rotor-pole-number machines are lighter and provide higher efficiency. Results show that the influence of the S/P selection on inter-turn fault SC current needs to be considered during the design process to balance the efficiency and power density against fault-tolerant criteria of the application at hand.

The transportation electrification process is rapidly demanding for drivers with enhanced performance. Modern systems are moving from fossil fuel technologies toward hybrid and fully electric solutions. Consequently, in automotive and motorcycle sectors the complete electrification process requires significant power and energy capabilities, and high efficiency. Also, to minimize the mechanical power loss and save the battery energy, the weight and volume of the vehicle have to be minimized. These features are significantly stressed in race applications, where the power density of the drive and its efficiency has to push the limits of state of the art. In this work, a multiphase machine with dual rotor architecture is employed, aiming at maximizing the performance of a full electric motorcycle (E-Bike). In particular, it is already known that in multi-phase machines it is possible to inject high frequency current component to increase the power density of the drive. Therefore, the analytical model for the injection of a third harmonic in the currents waveforms is presented for a case study of E-Bike featuring a dual rotor with Halback permanent magnet array. The third current harmonic is injected keeping the same peak current, when compared with the control technique without injection. The three-phase and multiphase winding layout of the machine are compared with and without current injection control by means of analytical equations. Finally, finite element results are shown in order to validate the model, the advantage of the multiphase winding and the current injection technique.