High speed high power electrical machines

DEng ThesisHigh Speed High Power (HSHP) electrical machines push the limits of electromagnetics, material capabilities and construction techniques. In doing so they are able to match the power performance of high speed turbomachinery such as gas turbines, compressors and expanders. This makes them attractive options for direct coupling to such machinery as either a power source or as a generator; eliminating the need for gearboxes and achieving a smaller system size and greater reliability. The design of HSHP machines is a challenging, iterative process. Mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal constraints are all placed on the machine shape, topology, operating point and materials. The designer must balance all of these constraints to find a workable solution that is mechanically stable, can work within the available electrical supply and will not overheat. This thesis researches the fundamental origins and interaction of the mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal constraints on electrical machines. Particular attention was paid to improving the accuracy of traditional mechanical rotor design processes, and improving loss estimation in inverter fed machines. The issues of selecting an appropriate electric loading for low voltage machines and choosing effective, economic cooling strategies were explored in detail. An analytical iterative design process that combines mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal design is proposed; this process balances the need for speed versus accuracy for the initial design of a machine, with Finite Element Analysis used only for final validation of performance and losses. The design process was tested on the design and manufacture of a 1.1MW 30,000rpm PM dynamometer used in an industrial test stand. The machine operating point was chosen to meet a gap in the industrial machines market and exceed the capabilities of other commercially available machines of the same speed. The resulting machine was successfully tested and comfortably meets the performance criteria used in the design process

Experimental statistical method predicting AC losses on random windings and PWM effect evaluation

Nowadays, one of the challenges in transport electrification is the reduction of the components’ size and weight in order to improve the power density. This is often achieved by designing electrical machines with higher rotational speeds and excitation frequencies. In addition, the converter needs to control the machine over a wide speed range given by the mission profile. Therefore, copper losses can significantly increase due to the combination of high frequency excitation and the harmonics introduced by the converter .The winding arrangement design plays a key role in the minimization of the copper losses. This paper presents an in depth study on AC losses in random windings for high frequency motor applications. An analytical method is compared against 2-D Finite Element (FE) simulation results. These are then compared to experimental measurements taken on a custom motorette. Importantly, in order to take into account the random positions of each strand within the machine slots, an Experimental Statistic Method (ESM) is proposed. The ESM allows to define the probability distribution which is useful to evaluate the winding copper losses at the design stage. The contribution of the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) effect is also considered and experimentally evaluated. IEE

Electrical effects in winding of large electrical ac machines application to advanced large size DFIM

To meet the electrical grid's demand on pump power variation, GE Renewable Energy develops since 10 years variable speed machines (also called Doubly Fed Induction Generators or DFIG). Within turbogenerators, the phenomenon of circulating currents in Roebel bars is well known, while is it has not yet been studied for DFIGs. The main goal of this study is to calculate the circulating currents in the stator and rotor bars of DFIG under different operating points with a theoretical and practical precision of around 1\%. This study starts with an overview of the current situation in circulating current calculation and presentation of the characteristic circulating current curves for a hydrogenerator, study that led to a patent application. After a presentation of the possible calculation methods and models based on a deep and broad literature review, this study performs with a deep review of the slot inductance model analysing its precision and limitations. Based on these finds, two novel analytical models are proposed to enhance the taking into account of the strand dimensions. Only the last slot inductance model developed, based on a slot differential inductance model, permits to take the strand dimensions and the saturation into account. This model is validated experimentally using a small-scale slot/strand-model, while all slots models are compared to each other to highlight their differences. The winding overhang model and novel analytical expressions are presented in a later chapter as well as the analytical treatment of the rotor overhang made of non-linear steel. The winding overhang model uses analytical expressions to determine the magnetic field and vector potential in the winding overhang, which have the advantage of additional knowledge compared to the results of a finite-element computation. \In another chapter, novel exact transient current and torques expressions are derived for a DFIG experiencing a 3-phase and a 2-phase short-circuit. Then the winding overhang force computation and the circulating current calculation results are presented in two crowing chapters. In these chapters, the influence of the approximation and boundary on the end winding forces as well as the origin of the end winding forces are shown. The last result chapter is dedicated to the circulating current calculation, where several original results are presented to detail the circulating current losses reduction potential and the impact of well-known classical special transitions on the circulating currents in the case of a DFIG. The influence of the operating point and the boundary are also shown for the stator and the rotor. This study presents many original contributions on several domains. It presented a novel slot inductance model, which was validated using a specially designed small-scale model of a slot. This small-scale model concept can certainly be extended to other parts of an electrical machine, which could help to study these effects in a laboratory instead of a power plant. This study could quantify the circulating current losses in the stator winding of a DFIG, losses that can easily be reduced to increase the efficiency of this machine. This study also presented several original fundamental contributions in the field of analytical expressions for the transient expression of current and torque in the case of a 3-phase and 2-phase short-circuit

Design and modelling of permanent magnet machine's windings for fault-tolerant applications

The research described in this thesis focuses on the mitigation of inter-turn short-circuit (SC) faults in Fault tolerant Permanent Magnet (FT-PM) machines. An analytical model is proposed to evaluate the inter-turn SC fault current accounting for the location in the slot of the short-circuited turn(s). As a mitigation strategy to SC faults at the design stage, a winding arrangement called VSW (Vertically placed Strip Winding) is proposed and analysed. The proposed analytical model is benchmarked against finite element (FE) calculation and validated experimentally. The results demonstrate that the proposed winding arrangement in the slot improves the fault tolerance (FT) capability of the machine by limiting the inter-turn SC fault current regardless the fault location in the slot. Electromagnetic and thermal studies are conducted to verify the merits and drawbacks of the proposed winding compared to the conventional winding using round conductors (RCW). The study shows that the proposed winding scheme, in addition to being fault-tolerant, has an improved bulk radial conductivity, can achieve a good fill factor, but has a significantly higher frequency-dependent AC copper loss. To predict the AC losses an analytical model based on an exact analytical 2D field solution is proposed. This model consists of first solving the two-dimensional magneto-static problem based on Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations using the separation of variables technique. Then, based on that solved solution, by defining the tangential magnetic field (Ht) at the slot opening radius, Helmholtz’ equation is solved in the slot sub-domain. Subsequently, an FE and MATLAB® coupled parametric design is undertaken to maximise the VSW wound machine’s efficiency whilst maintaining its FT capability. The proposed analytical models for prediction of the SC fault current and AC copper losses are integrated into the coupled optimisation. It is shown that the effective losses of the VSW can be minimised through the parametric design while maintaining the required level of machine performance. Using an existing FT-PM machine of which the rotor is kept unchanged two stators were designed, manufactured and wound with RCW and VSW respectively and experimental tests are carried out to validate the analytical models and the new winding concept

Design and modelling of permanent magnet machine's windings for fault-tolerant applications

The research described in this thesis focuses on the mitigation of inter-turn short-circuit (SC) faults in Fault tolerant Permanent Magnet (FT-PM) machines. An analytical model is proposed to evaluate the inter-turn SC fault current accounting for the location in the slot of the short-circuited turn(s). As a mitigation strategy to SC faults at the design stage, a winding arrangement called VSW (Vertically placed Strip Winding) is proposed and analysed. The proposed analytical model is benchmarked against finite element (FE) calculation and validated experimentally. The results demonstrate that the proposed winding arrangement in the slot improves the fault tolerance (FT) capability of the machine by limiting the inter-turn SC fault current regardless the fault location in the slot. Electromagnetic and thermal studies are conducted to verify the merits and drawbacks of the proposed winding compared to the conventional winding using round conductors (RCW). The study shows that the proposed winding scheme, in addition to being fault-tolerant, has an improved bulk radial conductivity, can achieve a good fill factor, but has a significantly higher frequency-dependent AC copper loss. To predict the AC losses an analytical model based on an exact analytical 2D field solution is proposed. This model consists of first solving the two-dimensional magneto-static problem based on Laplace’s and Poisson’s equations using the separation of variables technique. Then, based on that solved solution, by defining the tangential magnetic field (Ht) at the slot opening radius, Helmholtz’ equation is solved in the slot sub-domain. Subsequently, an FE and MATLAB® coupled parametric design is undertaken to maximise the VSW wound machine’s efficiency whilst maintaining its FT capability. The proposed analytical models for prediction of the SC fault current and AC copper losses are integrated into the coupled optimisation. It is shown that the effective losses of the VSW can be minimised through the parametric design while maintaining the required level of machine performance. Using an existing FT-PM machine of which the rotor is kept unchanged two stators were designed, manufactured and wound with RCW and VSW respectively and experimental tests are carried out to validate the analytical models and the new winding concept

Loss Reduction in Axial Flux Machines using Magnetic Shielding

PhD ThesisAbstract– The introduction of compacted insulated iron powder in electrical machines design makes their manufacturing process easy together with high rates of production and the machine parts made from it are stable dimensionally compared to conventional laminated steel. The research work presented in this thesis was carried out with the main aim to improve the overall performance of a three-phase Axial Flux Machine (AFM) using Soft Magnetic Composite (SMC). To realise it, the machine was redesigned in a way to benefit from the unique properties of the material such as low eddy current loss at high frequency, isotropic magnetic properties and simple manufacturing process. Due to the three-dimensional (3D) nature of the SMC material and AFM structure, 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was carried out for accurate prediction of performance and extensive simulation results were provided. Higher fill factor up to 70% was achieve by compacting the pre-formed coils on a bobbin before sliding onto the tooth for final assembly, which offered a significant improvement in performance. AC winding loss analysis was performed due to open-slot stator winding configuration and the higher frequency of operation resulting in skin-depths of the same order of size as the typical conductor diameters. A method of AC winding loss reduction was introduced using a single steel lamination sheet to shield the windings from stray fields due to the open-slot stator construction which encourage an elevated AC loss at AC operation. Moreover, this approach is easy to implement for this machine topology and does not require the use of more complex twisted and Litz type conductors. To validate the 3D FEA, a prototype machine was built which ultimately resulted in 6 machines being tested without and with steel lamination sheet during this PhD. The measured result which includes the back EMF, full load voltage, torque, power and losses are thoroughly presented and agreed with the 3D FEA very well. Depending on lamination type, it is shown that the AC winding loss reduced by up to 48.0%, total loss reduced by up to 31.7%, this method has disadvantages of minor reduction of up to 3.5%, 5.8% and 2.8% in the peak back EMF, torque and output power respectively. The efficiency has increased by up to 10.3%. The research studies signify the viability of designing and producing a highly efficient AFM with SMC and has the potential for mass production, this thesis makes significant contribution by implementing a simple novel method for AC winding loss reduction using steel lamination sheet to shield the stray flux due to open-slot stator winding construction.The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Nigeria and NASRDA-CBS

Design and Application of Electrical Machines

Electrical machines are one of the most important components of the industrial world. They are at the heart of the new industrial revolution, brought forth by the development of electromobility and renewable energy systems. Electric motors must meet the most stringent requirements of reliability, availability, and high efficiency in order, among other things, to match the useful lifetime of power electronics in complex system applications and compete in the market under ever-increasing pressure to deliver the highest performance criteria. Today, thanks to the application of highly efficient numerical algorithms running on high-performance computers, it is possible to design electric machines and very complex drive systems faster and at a lower cost. At the same time, progress in the field of material science and technology enables the development of increasingly complex motor designs and topologies. The purpose of this Special Issue is to contribute to this development of electric machines. The publication of this collection of scientific articles, dedicated to the topic of electric machine design and application, contributes to the dissemination of the above information among professionals dealing with electrical machines

Proceedings of the 10th international conference on energy efficiency in motor driven systems (EEMODS' 2017)

The 10th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Motor Driven Systems (EEMODS'17) was be held in Rome (Italy) on 6-8 September, 2017. The EEMODS conferences have been very successful in attracting distinguished and international presenters and attendees. The wide variety of stakeholders has included professionals involved in manufacturing, marketing, and promotion of energy efficient motors and motor driven systems and representatives from research labs, academia, and public policy. EEMODS’15 provided a forum to discuss and debate the latest developments in the impacts of electrical motor systems (advanced motors and drives, compressors, pumps, and fans) on energy and the environment, the policies and programmes adopted and planned, and the technical and commercial advances made in the dissemination and penetration of energy-efficient motor systems. In addition EEMODS covered also energy management in organizations, international harmonization of test method and financing of energy efficiency in motor systems. The Book of Proceedings contains the peer reviewed paper that have been presented at the conference.JRC.C.2-Energy Efficiency and Renewable

9th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Motor Driven Systems

The 9th International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Motor Driven Systems (EEMODS'15) was be held in Helsinki (Finland) on 15-17 September, 2015. The EEMODS'15 conferences have been very successful in attracting distinguished and international presenters and attendees. The wide variety of stakeholders has included professionals involved in manufacturing, marketing, and promotion of energy efficient motors and motor driven systems and representatives from research labs, academia, and public policy. EEMODS’15 provided a forum to discuss and debate the latest developments in the impacts of electrical motor systems (advanced motors and drives, compressors, pumps, and fans) on energy and the environment, the policies and programmes adopted and planned, and the technical and commercial advances made in the dissemination and penetration of energy-efficient motor systems. In addition EEMODS covered also energy management in organizations, international harmonization of test method and financing of energy efficiency in motor systems. The Book of Proceedings contains the peer reviewed paper that have been presented at the conference.JRC.F.7-Renewables and Energy Efficienc

HASTECS: Hybrid Aircraft: reSearch on Thermal and Electric Components and Systems

In 2019, transportation was the fastest growing sector, contributing to environmental degradation. Finding sustainable solutions that pollute less is a key element in solving this problem, particularly for the aviation sector, which accounts for around 2-3% of global CO2 emissions. With the advent of Covid-19, air traffic seems to have come to a fairly permanent halt, but this pandemic reinforces the need to move towards a "cleaner sky" and respect for the environment, which is the objective of the Clean Sky2 program (H2020 EU), the context in which the HASTECS project has been launched in September 2016