Comprehensive design and experimental modeling of electric motors

The process of the large scale electrification of the road vehicles will significantly increase the need for electric traction motors. Until now, different types of electric motors have been developed and implemented for this purpose. Specifically, the most popular electric motor type for electric vehicles is the motor using rare earth permanent magnets. Addressing also alternative electric motor designs in the research and development sector is the right path in electric motor design development due to environmental dumping (caused by low environmental standards in the Far East) and also lack of reserves of crucial raw materials for rare earth permanent magnet electric motors in Europe. Within this project a comprehensive design process and experimental modeling of PM-free E motors i.e. Electrically Excited Synchronous Motors (EES-motors) will be evolved by taking into account electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical characterization, technology aspects and the production costs. The design process of an EES-motors itself is based on a complex theoretical background comprising several physical phenomena (electric and magnetic fields, heat transfer, mechanics etc.), which interfere with each other. Thus, a basic scientific design approach of an electric motor will be based on electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical design process, all of them being taken into account simultaneously. Our proposed approach is to combine conceptual design, technology aspect, production and material cost, which will be addressed as well as form a complete circle of the electric motor design process. The project will be focused on four main topics, each covering one platform: •            Investigation of physical phenomena including advanced modeling and measurements. •            Design expert system (DES) including multi-physical conceptual design of EES-motors. •            EES-motor Digital twin composition to connect digital word to the real one. •            Methodology development allowing to form E-motor Distributed Parallel Prototyping (DPP) community of SME. The impact of technological procedures will be evaluated via measurements on real prototypes or on experimental models of electric motor parts in order to include the technology dependent influence on electric motor behavior. The upgraded models with newly acquired knowledge will be integrated into the software algorithms for comprehensive design of electric motors. An accurate function driven algorithm for comprehensive design of EES-motors (EESM) will be developed by taking into account their electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical properties. In order to additionally shorten the electric motor development phase a digital twin (DT) of a real EES-motor will be built. The EES-motor digital twin will allow virtual measurements of actual electric quantities of custom E motor designs that are the outcome of the comprehensive design procedure. DT will also be used to monitor the real EES-motor throughout its operation in the real environment. This will enable on-line diagnostics and appropriate action in the event of reported malfunctions of the real motor. To allow flexible and fast prototyping of designed EES-machines a SME-network (Small and Medium Enterprises) will be initiated. The clusters of SME companies, where each cluster of partners will cover a specific prototyping field, will be joint into the network to form the DPP community of SME. The DPP will enable the improvement of design process by involving technology and production aspects in the design procedure. The DPP platform will help Slovenian industry to become more flexible, easy adoptable, faster in response to market demands in terms of quality and with this reducing the time-to-market for prototypes and small series E-motors production. The connection of all four topics will allow the formation of a unique comprehensive approach in development process of EES-motors.