Pia Lindh

Effect of Slot-and-Pole Combination on the Leakage Inductance and the Performance of Tooth-Coil Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machines

The influence of slot-and-pole-number combinations on the leakage inductance of double-layer fractional-slot concentrated nonoverlapping winding (i.e., tooth-coil winding) permanent-magnet synchronous machines is studied. A Fourier-analysis-based method for calculating the harmonic air-gap leakage inductance applied to the current-linkage waveform (winding function) in the air gap is suggested. Different slot-and-pole combinations are considered, and their influence, in particular, on the air-gap leakage inductance is indicated. In tooth-coil machines, the air-gap harmonic leakage can have a surprisingly large impact on the machine performance.

Optimal Design of Large Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators

High power machine has become a large market for wind power and ship propulsion electric, among other applications. Since the size of these machines is much larger than conventional industrial ones, optimum design must be considered in order to reduce the material cost and increase profitability. In this paper, a simple analytic optimization algorithm is used to maximize the apparent airgap power transferred under tangential stress constraint. In this approach, close related expressions between the main design variables, operational restrictions, and external dimensions are derived to build the mathematical structure of the optimization process. To improve the torque capacity estimation of the designed machine, a correction procedure, based on the previous result, is used to remove the idealizations considered for the initial design. Close agreement with the finite element analysis results are found with this approach, which is based on analytical method.

Inductance Calculation of Tooth-Coil Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machines

Analytical calculation methods for all the major components of the synchronous inductance of tooth-coil permanent-magnet synchronous machines are reevaluated in this paper. The inductance estimation is different in the tooth-coil machine compared with the one in the traditional rotating field winding machine. The accuracy of the analytical torque calculation highly depends on the estimated synchronous inductance. Despite powerful finite element method (FEM) tools, an accurate and fast analytical method is required at an early design stage to find an initial machine design structure with the desired performance. The results of the analytical inductance calculation are verified and assessed in terms of accuracy with the FEM simulation results and with the prototype measurement results.

Design of a Traction Motor With Tooth-Coil Windings and Embedded Magnets

Traction motor design significantly differs from industrial machine design. The starting point is the load cycle instead of the steady-state rated operation point. The speed of the motor varies from zero to very high speeds. At low speeds, heavy overloading is used for starting, and the field-weakening region also plays an important role. Finding a suitable field-weakening point is one of the important design targets. At the lowest speeds, a high torque output is desired, and all current reserves of the supplying converter unit are used to achieve the torque. In this paper, a 110-kW 2.5-p.u. starting torque and a maximum 2.5-p.u. speed permanent-magnet traction motor will be studied. The field-weakening point is altered by varying the number of winding turns of machine. One design is selected for prototyping. Theoretical results are verified by measurements.

Hybrid Cooling Method of Axial-Flux Permanent-Magnet Machines for Vehicle Applications

Thermal properties are a key issue in many applications associated with electrical machines. Because of its special configuration, an axial-flux electrical machine usually uses self-ventilation. However, this cooling method has a significant impact degrading the machine operating characteristics, and thus, an independent cooling system is desirable. The focus of this paper is on the steady-state thermal modeling and laboratory testing of an axial-flux permanent-magnet (AFPM) electrical machine intended for a traction application. The proposed hybrid cooling arrangement consists of a frame cooling circuit with a water flow inside, a set of copper bars inserted in the teeth, and a segment of potting material around the end windings. Computational fluid dynamics and finite-element analysis are applied for the preliminary design. This paper provides experimental verification of the simulation results on a 100-kW AFPM electrical machine.

Rotor Eddy-Current Losses Reduction in an Axial Flux Permanent-Magnet Machine

A novel rotor structure for a tooth-coil-winding (concentrated winding) open-slot axial-flux permanent-magnet (PM) machine that reduces the eddy currents and increases the main flux linkage is proposed in this paper. A composite-body-based rotor assembly and a steel-laminated layer inserted on top of the magnets are used to reduce eddy-current losses in the PMs. A prototype of an axial flux generator for a heavy-duty vehicle following this structure is optimized, analyzed and measured. The tooth coil windings produce high-amplitude harmonics in the air gap and the large slot openings reduce the rotor flux. Consequently, a rotor structure that decreases the amount of harmonics travelling through the magnets is required. Steel laminations covering the magnets have positive effects on both phenomena. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite-element analysis is used to verify and optimize the geometry of the laminations. Computations are verified by experimental measurements of a 100 kW test machine prototype.

Influence of wedge material on losses of a traction motor with tooth-coil windings

Permanent magnet (PM) machines with tooth-coil windings are designed and analyzed. We study how the slot wedge material affects the behaviour of losses when using tooth-coil windings. The losses of an interior permanent magnet rotor are studied over a wide speed range. A finite element analysis applying Cedrats Flux2D is made. Motors of this size can have high permanent magnet eddy current losses, and therefore, segmented magnets are often preferred even though interior magnets and semi-magnetic wedge materials are used. The study shows that tooth-coil windings may benefit from using a semi-magnetic material as a wedge material as it decreases the rotor iron losses and, especially, losses in the permanent magnets. The study shows also that wedges with relative permeabilities higher than 3 would not benefit this traction motor design, because of high losses and low maximum torque. Computations are compared to measurements of a 110 kW prototype traction motor.

Multidisciplinary Design of a Permanent-Magnet Traction Motor for a Hybrid Bus Taking the Load Cycle into Account

An electrical and mechanical design process for a traction motor in a hybrid bus application is studied. Usually, the design process of an electric machine calls for close cooperation between various engineering disciplines. Compromises may be required to satisfy the boundary conditions of electrical, thermal, and mechanical performances. From the mechanical point of view, the stress values and the safety factors should be at a reasonable level and the construction lifetime predicted by a fatigue analysis. In a vehicle application, the motor has to be capable of generating high torque when accelerating, and in normal operation, the losses of the machine should be low to be able to cool the machine. Minimization of the no-load iron losses becomes a very important electrical design requirement if the traction motor and the generator are mechanically connected with an internal combustion engine when it is operating as the only source of torque. The manufacturing costs of the motor are also taken into account in this paper.

Design of a traction motor with two-step gearbox for high-torque applications

New combination of an electrical machine and a two-step planetary gear for high torque traction applications is introduced. This kind of a machine can act as a propulsion motor for working machines such as e. q. agricultural tractor that needs to generate very high traction forces and also higher travelling speeds. The technology also suits in some road vehicle use e.g. for buses or trucks. Detailed information about the electrical machine design is provided. The machine has tooth-coils in the stator, embedded permanent magnets in the rotor and its cooling is arranged via the gear lubrication as the chamber is semi-filled with oil.

Direct Liquid Cooling in Low-Power Electrical Machines: Proof-of-Concept

This paper evaluates the feasibility of a direct liquid cooling approach in the thermal management of an axial flux permanent-magnet machine. To demonstrate the cooling method, a test motor was fitted with helical tooth coil windings formed from a hybrid conductor comprising a stainless steel coolant conduit tightly wrapped with a stranded Litz wire. The motor is a 100-kW permanent-magnet, axial-flux, double-stator, single-rotor machine. The proof of concept integrated the motor with a closed liquid coolant loop, appropriate instrumentation, and a data acquisition system. The general performance of the motor was examined at various power levels using polyalphaolefin oil as the cooling fluid. The results show the proposed cooling method to be feasible, and furthermore, to provide significant improvements to the machine thermal management.