CAREER: NOVEL INTEGRATION OF FLUID DYNAMIC DESIGN INTO ELECTRIC MACHINES

随着全球能源需求的稳步增长，能源效率和能源的可持续利用仍然是各国面临的最紧迫的挑战之一。事实上，未来全球能源需求将继续稳步增长。最近的研究表明，到2030年，全球一次能源需求可能增长50%以上。在全球电力需求中，压缩机系统消耗了相当大的比例。压缩机的应用非常广泛，从许多角度来看对人类都很有用。压缩机可以在非常小的设备中找到，如睡眠呼吸暂停呼吸机，到发电和供暖、通风和空调(HVAC)系统的千瓦级微型涡轮机，再到发电厂的兆瓦级天然气涡轮机。压缩机的另一个有用和可持续的应用是压缩空气储能系统。其他应用包括发电系统的原动机、飞机喷气发动机和高速推进系统。在所有类型的压缩机中，轴流压缩机是效率最高的压缩机之一，而且大多数轴流压缩机都需要电机。因此，需要设计一种能够以低成本高速、高效地运行轴流压缩机的电机。这项研究的目的是开发一种先进的电机，用轴流压缩机取代旧的、低效的压缩机拓扑结构，为更高效和可持续的能源利用铺平道路。研究提出了一种新颖的变型电机，将电机的转子和压缩机的翼型结合到一个结构中。与传统的电机和压缩机分离设计相比，这种方法将减少轴流压缩机系统的重量、体积和成本，并提高效率。该职业项目旨在通过学分课程向大学生传播研究成果，通过短期课程、研讨会和教程向工程师执业，并通过演示和开放参观向公众传播研究成果。该项目将通过各种讲习班和STEM活动，如獾夏令营，促进妇女和代表不足的少数群体参与本科生和研究生工程教育，以促进平等参与和促进多样性。这项研究工作背后的中心假设是，如果电机的转子被塑造成翼型，那么转子的机械扭矩就会转化为流体中的动能，因为转子将充当压缩机的翼型，并压缩气体。因此，这项职业研究提出了一种新颖的电机，其中转子被塑造成翼型，实现了电机和压缩机的双重功能。由于固有气体流动，这种方法将实现转子和定子的自冷却，压缩机轴向长度将缩短，机械设计将因轴向长度缩短而更简单和坚固，轴承设计将因轴向长度缩短而更简单。本研究旨在发展电机和涡轮机械的统一理论，将扭矩产生和流体动力学结合在一起。将进行多物理模拟，以分析机电、热、结构和流体动力学属性。我们将研究其性能特点，并对新型一体化转子-翼型设计的效益进行量化，并将其与传统的电机和压缩机分离设计进行比较。最后，将建立一个概念验证原型并进行测试，以验证设计、分析和仿真结果。这项变革性的研究旨在实现下一代高速压缩机系统的更低重量、更小体积和更低成本、更高效率和更高可靠性。拟议的概念适用于涡轮机和风扇，并将对其进行调查。

Energy efficiency and sustainable use of energy continue to be among nations' most pressing challenges as global energy demand steadily increases. In fact, global energy needs will continue to grow steadily into the future. Recent studies indicate that the world's primary energy demand is likely to grow more than 50% by 2030. Among global electric energy needs, compressor systems consume a substantial proportion. The applications for compressors are very broad and useful for humanity from many perspectives. Compressors can be found in very small equipment such as sleep apnea machines, to kilo-Watt level micro-turbines for power generation and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, to mega-Watt level natural gas turbines of power plants. Another useful and sustainable application of compressors is for compressed air energy storage systems. Other applications include prime mover of electrical generation systems, aircraft jet engines, and high-speed propulsion systems. Among all compressor types, axial flow compressors have one of the highest efficiency, and most of the axial flow compressors require electric motors. Hence, there is a need to design electric motors that can run the axial flow compressors at high speed and efficiency at low cost. The motivation of this research aims to develop an advanced electric machine to replace older, inefficient compressor topologies with axial flow compressors, paving the way for more efficient and sustainable energy use. The research proposes a novel and transformative motor, by combining the rotor of the electric motor and airfoil of a compressor into one structure. This approach will reduce the weight, volume, and cost of the axial flow compressor systems and increase the efficiency compared to traditional separate motor and compressor designs. The CAREER project aims to disseminate the research results to university students via credit courses, practicing engineers via short courses, seminars, and tutorials, and the general public via demonstrations and open houses. The project will promote participation of women and under-represented minorities in undergraduate and graduate engineering education to advance equal participation and advance diversity via various workshops and STEM activities such as Camp Badger. The central hypothesis underlying this research effort is that if a rotor of electric machine is shaped as an airfoil, then there will be a conversion of mechanical torque from the rotor to kinetic energy in the fluid, because the rotor will serve as an airfoil for the compressor and compress the gas. Hence, this CAREER research proposes a novel electric machine where the rotor is shaped as an airfoil that achieves both motoring and compressor function. This approach will achieve self-cooling of the rotor and stator due to inherent gas flow, reduction in the axial length of the compressor, simpler and more robust mechanical design due to reduced axial length, and simpler bearing design due to reduced axial length. The research aims to develop a unified theory of electric machines and turbo machinery to integrate the torque production and fluid dynamics. Multi-physics simulations will be performed to analyze the electromechanical, thermal, structural, and fluid dynamic attributes. Performance characteristics will be researched and benefits of the novel integrated rotor-airfoil design will be quantified and compared with traditional separate motor and compressor designs. Finally, a proof-of-concept prototype will be built and tested to validate the design, analytical and simulation results. This transformational research aims to achieve lower weight, volume, and cost, higher efficiency, and higher reliability of next generation high-speed compressor systems. The proposed concept is applicable to and will be investigated for turbines and fans.