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Modern converter-supplied ac motors are exposed to bearing currents. Despite extensive research and development, the industry still does not have a final solution with acceptable cost and high efficiency. This article focuses on capacitive bearing currents. After a brief explanation of the phenomenon, an unconventional approach for effective mitigation of the capacitive bearing currents is proposed. The approach suggests using grounded electrodes in the slot openings to reduce the stator-winding-to-rotor-core capacitance and thereby the bearing currents. Different electrode diameters are considered and evaluated by a finite element method (FEM) analysis. The results are verified by laboratory tests. The bearing voltage ratios of the original and modified induction motor are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different mechanisms by which bearing currents flow inside the electrical machine are well studied. In contrast, investigation and development of different techniques to mitigate these currents remain a field for improvement, and the final common solution to the problem has not been provided yet. In pursuit of addressing the problem, this article deals with noncirculating (or capacitive) bearing currents. The circuit mechanism of capacitive currents is explained in brief, and an approach for their mitigation is introduced. This article studies the influence of the stator winding and the slot geometry and presents different geometries to modify the motor to reduce the capacitive bearing currents. The effectiveness of the proposed mitigation technique is shown by finite-element-based modeling and verified by laboratory tests with different induction motor designs, where the winding and magnetic circuit geometries are varied. The technique can be used, in particular, for the mitigation of noncirculating currents, but it also offers potential for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct liquid cooling (DLC) of electrical machine windings is a clearly effectual cooling method for high-torque and high-power-density applications needed, especially, in heavy vehicles. Usually, in electric vehicles, the stator copper winding losses are the most dominating losses during the accelerating or decelerating (recuperation) modes, and therefore, traditional windings may heat up significantly during high-torque periods. Removing the heat directly from the winding in which most of the heat is generated allows the most straightforward and effective way of cooling. This paper investigates the feasibility of the DLC in a radial-flux permanent-magnet traction motor. This case provides experimental information of the behavior of the DLC of the windings. The prototype motor equipped with DLC windings is installed in an electric bus so that typical bus load cycles can be tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being much more rugged than a rotor made of traditional steel sheets, a solid rotor is frequently used in high-power high-speed induction machines (IMs). Furthermore, by a solid-rotor machine, a higher rotating speed can be achieved. However, the solid rotor also has certain disadvantages, the relatively high solid-rotor eddy-current losses being the most serious one. Basically, solid-rotor eddy-current losses are mainly induced by time–spatial air-gap flux density high-order harmonics. The suppression of the high-order harmonics is the key means to mitigate the rotor eddy-current losses. In this paper, a novel computational model is proposed for evaluating the rotor harmonic eddy-current losses of a 2 MW, 12 000 r/min IM. The model was built on a special machine referred to as a virtual permanent magnet harmonic machine (VPMHM). The model was constructed by applying the finite-element method (FEM), and it is based on the time–spatial harmonics produced by a rotating magnet with sinusoidal magnetization. The VPMHM model links the air-gap flux density harmonics directly to the specific rotor eddy-current losses. Furthermore, according to the proposed model, three options, namely, the use of air-gap permeance modifying notches on the stator teeth, semimagnetic wedges, and their combination, were investigated in detail for mitigating the rotor eddy-current losses in the motor nominal operating point. The results and conclusions in this paper are based on the FEM analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional industrial electrical machines are designed avoiding strong iron saturation in the magnetic circuit. Flux-switching permanent magnet synchronous machines (FSPMSMs), however, differ significantly by their construction and magnetic circuit from the traditional PMSMs. In PMSMs, local saturation in the stator at no load can be avoided by a proper stator tooth and yoke design, but in FSPMSMs, the flux accumulates in the teeth toward the air gap, and the armature steel often becomes heavily saturated in the region close to the air gap. Therefore, it is difficult to avoid local saturation in an FSPMSM, and proper design tools are required to take this saturation into account when the machine is designed. This paper demonstrates the importance of accurate knowledge of steel properties in regions with heavy magnetic saturation. It is shown that especially the design process of an FSPMSM should be supported by an accurate $B - H$ curve of the steel up to 2.2 T and beyond (or at the point where the steel is completely saturated), because it has a significant influence on the overall performance of the machine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Efficient cooling is needed, for example, in traction motors which face regularly high torque peaks and generate high stator Joule losses. This paper studies the feasibility of the direct liquid cooling in the thermal management of a low-power low-voltage permanent-magnet machine. A tooth-coil axial-flux permanent-magnet double-stator-single-rotor test machine was first equipped with indirect liquid cooling using water cooling jackets and then with direct winding cooling. The winding material used is a hybrid conductor comprising a stainless steel coolant conduit tightly wrapped with stranded Litz wire. The performance of the motor is examined at various power levels using oil or water as the cooling fluid. The results confirm that the proposed direct cooling method is practical also in small machines, and furthermore, it offers significant improvements in the machine thermal management, especially, in cases where stator Joule losses dominate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents an energy efficiency analysis of a 37-kW standard squirrel-cage induction motor under sinusoidal and nonsinusoidal supply. The motor losses are analyzed using the conventional IEC loss segregation method and also numerically modeled using finite-element simulations. The measured and simulated loss components are compared with three different modulation methods. The overall simulated losses are in good agreement with the measured ones, but there exist differences in the loss components. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes an extended set of variables for numerical optimizations of tooth-coil permanent magnet synchronous machines (TC-PMSMs). The design variables for the extended set are chosen based on the magnetic asymmetries introduced by the saturated core under the loading conditions. The extended set allows to reach considerably higher values of torque density and significant reduction of torque ripple in comparison with a conventional set of optimization variables. The conventional and extended sets are compared on an example of an finite element method simulation of a double-layer winding surface permanent magnet-rotor TC-PMSM. A considerably better optimal machine is obtained when the extended set of variables is utilized. The paper showcases the design and the optimization of electrical machines using only free and open-source software. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper introduces a method for the drive cycle performance analysis of a permanent-magnet traction motor based on a fast magnetostatic finite-element analysis (FEA). The flux linkage and torque behavior of the permanent-magnet synchronous machine is studied by a nonlinear magnetostatic FEA as a function of direct- and quadrature-axis stator current components. In the analytical machine performance analysis, the current combinations producing the desired torque and minimizing the losses are determined. The iron loss is calculated with the time-transient FEA at no load. The maximum stator flux linkage, limited by the battery voltage, is taken into account. The drive cycle analysis, based on optimal current component surfaces, is carried out for a traction motor of an electric sports car. The results are compared with values measured for the drive cycle on a racetrack. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) with fractional-slot non-overlapping windings, also known as tooth-coil winding PMSMs (TCW PMSM), have been under intensive research during the latest decade. There are many optimization routines explained and implemented in the literature to improve the characteristics of this machine type. This paper introduces a new technique for torque ripple minimization in TCW PMSM. The source of torque harmonics is also described. The low-order torque harmonics can be harmful for a variety of applications, such as direct drive wind generators, direct drive light vehicle electrical motors, and for some high-precision servo applications. The reduction of the torque ripple harmonics with the lowest orders (6th and 12th) is realized by machine geometry optimization technique using finite element analysis. The presented optimization technique includes the stator geometry adjustment in TCW PMSMs with rotor surface permanent magnets and with rotor embedded permanent magnets. Influence of the permanent magnet skewing on the torque ripple reduction and cogging torque elimination was also investigated. It was implemented separately and together with the stator optimization technique. As a result, the reduction of some torque ripple harmonics was attained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Armature-reaction-compensated permanent-magnet synchronous generators are a particular type of hybrid excitation synchronous generators, where the main flux is created by the permanent magnets and the field winding is needed only to compensate the armature reaction. This paper studies the feasibility of an armature-reaction-compensated permanent magnet synchronous generator in island operation by comparison with a conventional electrically excited synchronous generator and permanent magnet synchronous generator. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the performance of an armature-reaction-compensated permanent magnet synchronous generator and its operation principle in island operation. As part of the study, a 55 kW prototype was built and tested. The experimental results of the prototype are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The design process of direct-driven permanent-magnet (PM) synchronous machines (PMSMs) for a full electric 4 \times 4 sports car is presented. The rotor structure of the machine consists of two PM layers embedded inside the rotor laminations, thus resulting in some inverse saliency, where the q-axis inductance is larger than the d-axis one. An integer slot stator winding was selected to fully take advantage of the additional reluctance torque. The performance characteristics of the designed PMSMs were calculated by applying a 2-D finite-element method. Cross saturation between the d- and q-axes was taken into account in the calculation of the synchronous inductances. The calculation results are validated by measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hybrid excitation synchronous generators are a special class of electrical machines in which the total rotor current linkage is produced by the simultaneous action of two different excitation sources: permanent-magnet (PM) excitation and field winding excitation. In the island operation, there is a need to compensate the armature reaction to keep the generator terminal voltage constant. The permanent magnet excitation is used to create the no-load excitation to the generator and the rotor winding is used as an armature reaction compensating winding. This paper studies the applicability of an armature-reaction-compensated PM synchronous generator to a marine diesel genset. This paper presents an analytical approach for the electromagnetic design of the proposed topology. Finite-element analysis and experimental measurements are performed to verify the results of the analytical approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hybrid and full electric technologies are fast emerging in vehicles and mobile working machines, where electric machines and internal combustion engines are used together to power the systems. Permanent magnet (PM) technology plays an important role here despite the high magnet prices. This paper theoretically and empirically studies the design principles of PM synchronous machines (PMSMs) for hybrid applications, where a high starting torque and a wide field weakening range are needed. Several embedded-magnet PMSM magnetic circuit topologies are considered as possible candidates. A 10-kW PMSM prototype was built and tested. Experimental results verify the theoretical considerations well. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Most of the high-power, low-speed, direct-driven permanent magnet synchronous generators for wind energy applications apply a cooling solution where the stator core is divided into a number of substacks. Cooling air is blown through the stator through radial cooling channels formed between the adjacent stator substacks. The use of the stator substacks has an effect on the equivalent length of the generator, and thus, if neglected, leads to an incorrect no-load voltage and synchronous inductance calculation. In this paper, the design issues related to the thermal and electromagnetic design of permanent magnet synchronous machines are highlighted. The analysis starts with a preliminary electromagnetic design. Then, the allowable number and width of cooling ducts are calculated based on the maximum allowable temperatures and fluid flow speed with a thermal resistance network model. The effect of cooling ducts on the no-load voltage and synchronous inductances of the machine are discussed in detail. The calculated no-load voltage and synchronous inductances are used in the analytical performance evaluation. It is shown that the cross-saturation of the synchronous inductances must be taken into account in order to get realistic results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper deals with the design of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) with ferrite magnets and their comparison with synchronous machines with NdFeB magnets. In recent years, ferrite magnets have become popular due to their rather low cost and, what is more important, due to increasing of the NdFeB magnets cost last time. The progress in ferrite magnet material properties during the latest decade gave rise to their use in high power applications. Their remanent flux density today reaches values beyond 0.4 T, which allows design electrical machines with acceptable performance. In this paper, three designs of ferrite machines are presented and compared with a real PMSM with NdFeB magnets. Furthermore, the influence of the stator winding type and the shape of the slot opening on the PMSM properties will be demonstrated. All machines are designed for the same output power as the original PMSM with NdFeB magnets. This paper demonstrates that ferrite magnets can, to some extent, be used as replacements for the NdFeB magnets in high-efficiency power applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lumped-parameter thermal model is presented for axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machines. The model provides the steady-state thermal solution to derive the temperatures at different parts of the machine, including the temperatures in the stator windings and the temperature of the magnets. Temperature-dependent thermal properties of the materials used in the machine construction as well as the stator winding resistance and consequently copper losses require temperature update in accurate design of the machine. Therefore, an iterative coupled electromagnetic and thermal design program is proposed in this study. A 5-kW AFPM generator is designed using the proposed program with regarding the thermal behavior of the machine. Tests performed on the designed machine verify that the defined thermal resistance network has a high ability to predict the nodal temperatures accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy efficiency of an electro-hydraulic forklift is significantly improved by using a permanent-magnet-synchronous-motor-servo-drive-based direct pump control to control the position of the fork without control valves. This paper provides a short evaluation of the hydraulic system and a more detailed analysis of the losses of the electric machine drive system. A theoretical approach is taken and the results are verified by practical measurements. Finally, possible improvements of the energy efficiency in the suggested system are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]