The objective of the project is to investigate integrated design methodologies and introduce new high efficiency, high torque electromechanical energy converters with wider speed ranges that are capable to live and operate under extreme conditions such as winding faults. The approach is 1) to consider the contribution of different orders of space harmonics originating from the geometry and time harmonics of the excitation in order to design efficient electric machines. The machine will be decomposed into several child machines and modeled in multi-space, multiple frame of references 2) to combine the torque-speed profiles of electric machines through their reconfiguration and increase the speed range 3) to develop control strategies for varying the excitation patterns and modifying the magnetic field in the machine and therefore accommodate for the faulty condition.
Intellectual merit: This project will facilitate a move away from the standard off-the-shelf electric machines to new high performance, fault tolerant ones. An analytical approach is introduced for the optimal design of high performance electric machines. The new systems are analyzed and modeled accordingly. Pulse Width Modulation strategies for realizing the excitation patterns are developed.
Broader impact: Employing more efficient electric motors will significantly decrease the energy consumption. The existence of high performance electric drives can be of great interest for renewable energy systems, hybrid electric vehicles, aerospace and ship propulsion applications. In order to make the discipline more interesting the existing undergraduate courses will be restructured to include research components and a new graduate course will be developed.
