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Enhancing Heat Transfer Efficiency in Permanent Magnet Machines through Innovative Thermal Design of Stator Windings

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Xiang Shen, Dr Xu DengORCiD, Professor Barrie Mecrow, Dr Rafal Wrobel, Dr Richard Whalley

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2024 by the authors. Featured Application: The work specifically targets the enhancement of cooling mechanisms in high-power permanent magnet electrical machines, with a direct application in improving the thermal management of stator windings in such devices. This advancement can significantly benefit sectors like aerospace, where the efficiency, reliability, and longevity of electrical machines are critical. This paper investigates innovative methods for enhancing heat transfer efficiency in high-power permanent magnet electrical machines. The objectives are to quantify the effects of increasing the air speed, increasing the turbulence intensity, and introducing the spacing between windings on cooling performance. The cooling of stator windings is studied through experimental wind tunnel testing and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling. The CFD model is validated against wind tunnel measurements to within 4 Kelvin (K). The results demonstrate that each enhancement method significantly improves the cooling capability. Increasing the air speed from 10 m/s to 40 m/s reduces the winding hotspot temperature by 34%. Introducing a high turbulence intensity of 40% leads to a 21% lower hotspot temperature compared to 0.5% turbulence intensity. Creating a 1.5 mm spacing between coils also substantially improves convection and conduction heat transfer. Overall, combining these optimised design parameters yields over a 40% reduction in hotspot temperature compared to the original design. This research provides practical guidance for maximising heat transfer efficiency in high-power permanent magnet machines, without increasing complexity. The findings will lead to higher machine efficiency, reliability, and longevity for aerospace and other applications.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Shen X, Deng X, Mecrow B, Wrobel R, Whalley R

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Applied Sciences

Year: 2024

Volume: 14

Issue: 6

Online publication date: 21/03/2024

Acceptance date: 16/03/2024

Date deposited: 20/05/2024

ISSN (electronic): 2076-3417

Publisher: MDPI

URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/app14062658

DOI: 10.3390/app14062658

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