The Electrical Machine Works: Exploring Metal Additive Manufacturing for Next Generation High Performance Electrical Machines and Wound Components

电机（电动机）性能的逐步变化是未来更多电动和全电动交通计划成功的核心，并在实现英国到2050年的净零排放目标方面发挥着至关重要的作用。先进推进中心（APC）和航空航天技术研究所（ATI）的电机技术路线图寻求到2035年实现9至2 - 5 kW/kg的连续功率密度，与目前的2-5 kW/kg形成鲜明对比。电机功率密度最终受到耗散内部产生的损耗（表现为热量）的能力以及电气绝缘系统的额定温度的限制。被称为绕组的电导体通常是主要的损耗源，并且通常由电绝缘的铜或铝导体形成。这种导体是使用拉伸和绝缘技术制造的，除了材料的改进之外，在过去的世纪里几乎没有什么变化。探索替代制造方法可以减少损耗，增强排热，提高额定温度，从而在功率密度和电机性能方面带来必要的阶跃变化。金属增材制造（AM）是一种将材料逐层选择性粘合以最终形成3D部件的工艺，能够生产使用传统方法可能不可行的复杂部件。AM所提供的设计自由度提供了许多抢手的机会，同时减少绕组损耗和封装体积，改善热管理，并使高温电气绝缘涂层的使用。这种绕组的设计需要开发新的多物理设计工具，包括电磁，热-和流体动力学，机械和AM设计（DfAM）方面。重要的是要了解AM工艺，包括零件的材料特性以及特征尺寸和几何形状的限制，以便充分利用设计自由度，同时确保制造可行性。确定如何使用构建支持和后处理来提高组件表面质量并促进电气绝缘涂层的应用是另一个重要方面。为此，我与学术和工业合作伙伴合作进行了初步研究，重点是成形轮廓绕组，这些绕组已经证明了金属AM在电机中的潜在优势以及有待探索的设计可能性的急剧扩展。我打算通过这项奖学金来扩大这项初步工作，这将为我提供4 + 3年的灵活资金，以支持电机工程，这是一个雄心勃勃的综合研究计划，让人想起臭鼬工程项目，该项目汇集了英国工业和学术专业知识，材料科学和多物理电子机械设计，在这一重要的新兴领域建立国际领先的平台。据设想，奖学金和相关平台，电机工程，将促进跨学科合作与工业界和学术界，催化高质量的学术成果通过适当的会议和期刊出版物传播，并产生知识产权（IP），帮助保持英国在电力电子机械和驱动器（PEMD）的竞争力，并在这一领域的最前沿。如果成功的话，随着时间的推移，电机厂将成为电机AM的卓越中心，为未来的技能和人才管道做出贡献，并帮助提高技术准备水平（TRL），以符合英国工业战略，先进推进中心（APC），航空航天技术研究所（ATI）和工业战略挑战基金（ISCF）推动电动革命（DER）和未来飞行（FF）计划。

Step changes in electrical machine (e-machine) performance are central to the success of future More-Electric and All-Electric transport initiatives and play a vital role in meeting the UK's Net Zero Emission target by 2050. E-machine technology roadmaps from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) and Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) seek continuous power-density of between 9 and 25 kW/kg by 2035, in stark contrast to the 2-5 kW/kg available today. E-machine power-density is ultimately limited by the ability to dissipate internally generated losses, which manifest as heat, and the temperature rating of the electrical insulation system. The electrical conductors, referred to as windings, are often the dominant loss source and are conventionally formed from electrically insulated copper or aluminium conductors. Such conductors are manufactured using a drawing and insulation technique, which aside from improvements in materials, has seen little change in the past century. Exploring alternative manufacturing methods could allow reduction in losses, enhanced heat extraction and facilitate increased temperature ratings, ushering the necessary step changes in power-density and e-machine performance. Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a process in which material is selectively bonded layer by layer to ultimately form a 3D part, enabling complex parts to be produced which may not be feasible using conventional methods. The design freedom offered by AM provides much sought-after opportunities to simultaneously reduce winding losses and packaging volume, improve thermal management and enable the use of high-temperature electrical insulation coatings.The design of such windings requires the development of new multi-physics design tools accounting for electromagnetic, thermo- and fluid- dynamics, mechanical and Design for AM (DfAM) aspects. It is important to have an understanding of the AM process, including the resulting material properties of parts and limitations on feature sizes and geometry in order to fully exploit the design freedoms whilst ensuring manufacturing feasibility. Establishing how to use build-supports and post-processes to improve component surface quality and facilitate application of electrical insulation coatings is another important aspect. To this end, I conducted initial studies in collaboration with academic and industrial partners focusing on shaped profile windings which have demonstrated the potential benefits of metal AM in e-machines and the drastic expansion of design possibilities to be explored. I intend to expand on this initial work through this fellowship which will provide me with flexible funding over a 4 + 3 year term to support The Electrical Machine Works, an ambitious and comprehensive research programme reminiscent of a Skunk Works project which draws together UK industry and academic expertise in AM, material science and multi-physics e-machine design to establish an internationally leading platform in this important emerging field. It is envisaged that the fellowship and associated platform, The Electrical Machine Works, will facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration with both industry and academia, catalysing high quality academic outputs disseminated through appropriate conference and journal publications, and the generation of Intellectual Property (IP), helping to keep the UK competitive in Power Electronics Machines and Drives (PEMD) and at the forefront of this area. If successful, in time The Electrical Machine Works will become a centre of excellence for AM in e-machines, contributing to a future skills and people pipeline and aiding in the raising of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) in line with national priorities as expressed by the UK's Industrial Strategy, Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Driving the Electric Revolution (DER) and Future Flight (FF) initiatives.