MS student Andy Yoon with advisor K. Haran
Induction motors (IM) and permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) are major types of electric machines prominent across many industries. PMSM, proven to require low maintenance with a long lifespan, is much utilized by the electric vehicle industry. IM has not only proven to be reliable, but also rugged and robust, earning the title, “Workhorse of the Industry.” Nevertheless, both machine types have room for improvement in power density.
Funded by the Grainger Foundation and NASA, current efforts are being made to help advance state-of-the-art IM and PMSM technology by reducing machine size and weight while keeping output power unchanged. Very high-frequency design is being explored to reduce the use of heavy alloy, while addressing corresponding electromagnetic and electrical complications. Detailed analyses are being performed using a finite element analysis (FEA) tool, which allows quantification of challenges and detailed design optimization. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an example of a flux density contour map obtained for high-frequency PMSM and IM using FEA.