Thermal Evaluation of High Voltage Hermetic Motors Experiencing Recurrent Insulation Failures

A high voltage hermetic compressor motor design developed for chiller applications has shown recurrent insulation failures in certain stator end-turn regions. Initial investigations found discoloration of failed coil insulation and suggested that the stator coils over heated during operation at rated load. Thermal modeling was conducted to develop an understanding of the causes of the unacceptably high motor failure rate so that corrective actions could be taken for future motor designs. This paper presents thermal modeling efforts for predicting steady-state temperature distributions within the stator coil in the end-turn region under full-load electrical heating and a refrigerant cooling environment. Insulation thermal conductivity and coil surface convection heat transfer coefficient were identified as two critical heat transfer parameters which dictate the effectiveness of coil heat dissipation. Thermal analysis results have been correlated with measured temperature dependent insulation thermal conductivities and stator coil surface temperatures measured in motor cooling tests. The results of thermal evaluation indicate that the premature motor failures are likely caused by excessive conductor heating due to high operating current density in a non-uniform coolant distribution.Center for Electromechanic

High speed induction motor and inverter drive for flywheel energy storage

The use of flywheels to store energy is a technology which is centuries old. The confluence of several modern technologies has resulted in flywheels becoming a viable solution for the needs of the transportation, electric utility, and aerospace industries. This paper discusses a high-speed induction motor and its associated inverter drive which were developed for the Federal Railroad Administration’s “Advanced Locomotive Propulsion System.” The design of the induction motor provided several significant challenges. A megawatt rated, 12,000 rpm motor operating at a rotor surface velocity speed of 230 m/s required a unique mechanical configuration to withstand the centrifugal forces as well as an electromagnetic design, which produced a high efficiency at 200 Hz. Extending the design practices used in smaller motors would not achieve the goals required for a megawatt size machine. Similarly, the inverter was developed using a soft switching technique in order to meet the demands of high power output in a compact package. Application requirements, electrical and mechanical features of the motor, design strategy for the inverter, and test results are all presented in this paper.Center for Electromechanic

Nine-Phase Armature Windings Design, Test, and Harmonic Analysis

A nine-phase armature winding was developed for a large generator. Alternative methods for interconnecting the pole-phase groups were examined. An alternate-pole connection scheme was adopted and a prototype induction motor was constructed to confirm the winding scheme. Since only a three-phase power source was available for testing, the induction motor was tested by using three, three-phase winding sections, one at a time. Air-gap harmonic fields produced some unusual results. These test results and harmonic analyses to explain them are presented herein. The tests confirmed the nine-phase winding scheme that was adopted. The harmonic analyses revealed that the complete nine-phase winding exhibited a very low harmonic content, a distinct advantage of a nine-phase winding for future applications.Center for Electromechanic

Induction motor performance testing with an inverter power supply, part 1

The development of high-power density electrical machines continues to accelerate, driven by military, transportation, and industrial needs to achieve more power in a smaller package. Higher speed electrical machines are a recognized path toward achieving higher power densities. Existing industry testing standards describe well-defined procedures for characterizing both synchronous and induction machines. However, these procedures are applicable primarily to fixed-frequency (usually 60 or 50 Hz) power supplies. As machine speeds increase well beyond the 3600-rpm limitation of 60-Hz machines, a need for performance testing at higher frequencies is emerging. An inverter power supply was used to conduct a complete series of tests on two induction motors (0.5 and 1.0 MW) with speeds up to ~5000 rpm. The use of a nonsinusoidal power supply with limited power output capability required the development of measurement techniques and testing strategies quite different than those typically used for 60/50 Hz testing. Instrumentation and techniques for measuring voltage, current, and power on harmonic rich waveforms with accuracies approaching 1% are described. Locked-rotor and breakdown torque tests typically require large kVA input to the motor, much higher than the rated load requirement. An inverter sized for the rated load requirements of the motor was adapted to perform locked-rotor and breakdown torque tests. Inverter drive protection features, such as anti-hunting and current limit that were built into the inverter had to be factored into the test planning and implementation. Test results are presented in two companion papers. This paper (Part 1) correlates test results with the results of an algorithmic induction motor analysis program. Part 2 presents the test results compared with a Matlab simulation program and also provides a comprehensive discussion of the instrumentation that was essential to achieve testing accuracy. Correlating test results with calculated valu- es confirmed that the testing techniques developed during this testing program are useful for evaluating high-speed, high-power density electrical machineryCenter for Electromechanic

Challenges in the Design of a 100 kW Induction Motor for a PHEV Application

This paper summarizes some design challenges encountered in the development of a high speed induction motor/generator for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The traction system motor/generator was developed for integration into a high performance full-sized passenger car being developed by a major automotive manufacturer. The paper summarizes the traction motor performance requirements and presents the electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal design issues of the high speed 100 kW peak power induction machine.Center for Electromechanic

The Science of Sungrazers, Sunskirters, and Other Near-Sun Comets

This review addresses our current understanding of comets that venture close to the Sun, and are hence exposed to much more extreme conditions than comets that are typically studied from Earth. The extreme solar heating and plasma environments that these objects encounter change many aspects of their behaviour, thus yielding valuable information on both the comets themselves that complements other data we have on primitive solar system bodies, as well as on the near-solar environment which they traverse. We propose clear definitions for these comets: We use the term near-Sun comets to encompass all objects that pass sunward of the perihelion distance of planet Mercury (0.307 AU). Sunskirters are defined as objects that pass within 33 solar radii of the Sun’s centre, equal to half of Mercury’s perihelion distance, and the commonly-used phrase sungrazers to be objects that reach perihelion within 3.45 solar radii, i.e. the fluid Roche limit. Finally, comets with orbits that intersect the solar photosphere are termed sundivers. We summarize past studies of these objects, as well as the instruments and facilities used to study them, including space-based platforms that have led to a recent revolution in the quantity and quality of relevant observations. Relevant comet populations are described, including the Kreutz, Marsden, Kracht, and Meyer groups, near-Sun asteroids, and a brief discussion of their origins. The importance of light curves and the clues they provide on cometary composition are emphasized, together with what information has been gleaned about nucleus parameters, including the sizes and masses of objects and their families, and their tensile strengths. The physical processes occurring at these objects are considered in some detail, including the disruption of nuclei, sublimation, and ionisation, and we consider the mass, momentum, and energy loss of comets in the corona and those that venture to lower altitudes. The different components of comae and tails are described, including dust, neutral and ionised gases, their chemical reactions, and their contributions to the near-Sun environment. Comet-solar wind interactions are discussed, including the use of comets as probes of solar wind and coronal conditions in their vicinities. We address the relevance of work on comets near the Sun to similar objects orbiting other stars, and conclude with a discussion of future directions for the field and the planned ground- and space-based facilities that will allow us to address those science topics

Cotton in the new millennium: advances, economics, perceptions and problems

Cotton is the most significant natural fibre and has been a preferred choice of the textile industry and consumers since the industrial revolution began. The share of man-made fibres, both regenerated and synthetic fibres, has grown considerably in recent times but cotton production has also been on the rise and accounts for about half of the fibres used for apparel and textile goods. To cotton’s advantage, the premium attached to the presence of cotton fibre and the general positive consumer perception is well established, however, compared to commodity man-made fibres and high performance fibres, cotton has limitations in terms of its mechanical properties but can help to overcome moisture management issues that arise with performance apparel during active wear. This issue of Textile Progress aims to: i. Report on advances in cotton cultivation and processing as well as improvements to conventional cotton cultivation and ginning. The processing of cotton in the textile industry from fibre to finished fabric, cotton and its blends, and their applications in technical textiles are also covered. ii. Explore the economic impact of cotton in different parts of the world including an overview of global cotton trade. iii. Examine the environmental perception of cotton fibre and efforts in organic and genetically-modified (GM) cotton production. The topic of naturally-coloured cotton, post-consumer waste is covered and the environmental impacts of cotton cultivation and processing are discussed. Hazardous effects of cultivation, such as the extensive use of pesticides, insecticides and irrigation with fresh water, and consequences of the use of GM cotton and cotton fibres in general on the climate are summarised and the effects of cotton processing on workers are addressed. The potential hazards during cotton cultivation, processing and use are also included. iv. Examine how the properties of cotton textiles can be enhanced, for example, by improving wrinkle recovery and reducing the flammability of cotton fibre

Gaia Early Data Release 3: The celestial reference frame (Gaia-CRF3)

Context. Gaia-CRF3 is the celestial reference frame for positions and proper motions in the third release of data from the Gaia mission, Gaia DR3 (and for the early third release, Gaia EDR3, which contains identical astrometric results). The reference frame is defined by the positions and proper motions at epoch 2016.0 for a specific set of extragalactic sources in the (E)DR3 catalogue. Aims. We describe the construction of Gaia-CRF3 and its properties in terms of the distributions in magnitude, colour, and astrometric quality. Methods. Compact extragalactic sources in Gaia DR3 were identified by positional cross-matching with 17 external catalogues of quasi-stellar objects (QSO) and active galactic nuclei (AGN), followed by astrometric filtering designed to remove stellar contaminants. Selecting a clean sample was favoured over including a higher number of extragalactic sources. For the final sample, the random and systematic errors in the proper motions are analysed, as well as the radio-optical offsets in position for sources in the third realisation of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF3). Results. Gaia-CRF3 comprises about 1.6 million QSO-like sources, of which 1.2 million have five-parameter astrometric solutions in Gaia DR3 and 0.4 million have six-parameter solutions. The sources span the magnitude range G = 13-21 with a peak density at 20.6 mag, at which the typical positional uncertainty is about 1 mas. The proper motions show systematic errors on the level of 12 μas yr-1 on angular scales greater than 15 deg. For the 3142 optical counterparts of ICRF3 sources in the S/X frequency bands, the median offset from the radio positions is about 0.5 mas, but it exceeds 4 mas in either coordinate for 127 sources. We outline the future of Gaia-CRF in the next Gaia data releases. Appendices give further details on the external catalogues used, how to extract information about the Gaia-CRF3 sources, potential (Galactic) confusion sources, and the estimation of the spin and orientation of an astrometric solution

Gaia Early Data Release 3: acceleration of the solar system from Gaia astrometry

Stars and planetary system