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

电机(e-Machine)性能的阶段性变化是未来More-Electric和All-Electric交通倡议成功的关键，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)的电子机械技术路线图寻求到2035年持续功率密度在9至25 kW/kg之间，与目前的2-5 kW/kg形成鲜明对比。电机的功率密度最终受到内部产生的损耗(表现为热量)的消散能力和电气绝缘系统的额定温度的限制。称为绕组的导体通常是主要的损耗源，通常由电绝缘的铜或铝导体形成。这种导体是用拉丝和绝缘技术制造的，除了材料的改进外，在过去的一个世纪里几乎没有什么变化。探索替代制造方法可以减少损失，增强热提取，并有助于提高额定温度，从而带来功率密度和电动机床性能的必要步骤变化。金属添加制造(AM)是一种将材料逐层有选择地粘合以最终形成3D零件的过程，从而能够生产出使用传统方法可能无法实现的复杂零件。AM提供的设计自由度提供了许多抢手的机会，可以同时减少绕组损耗和封装体积，改善热管理，并能够使用高温电绝缘涂层。此类绕组的设计需要开发新的多物理设计工具，考虑到电磁、热和流体动力学、机械和为AM设计(DFAM)等方面。为了充分利用设计自由度，同时确保制造的可行性，必须了解AM工艺，包括由此产生的零件的材料特性以及对特征尺寸和几何形状的限制。确定如何使用支撑和后处理来改善部件表面质量，促进电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，重点是异型绕组，证明了金属AM在电子电机中的潜在好处，以及有待探索的设计可能性的急剧扩展。我打算通过这个奖学金来扩展这项初步工作，它将在4+3年的期限内为我提供灵活的资金，以支持电机工厂，这是一个雄心勃勃的综合研究计划，让人想起Skunk Works项目，该项目汇集了英国在调幅、材料科学和多物理电子机械设计方面的行业和学术专业知识，以在这个重要的新兴领域建立一个国际领先的平台。据设想，该研究金和相关平台，电机工厂，将促进与工业界和学术界的跨学科合作，通过适当的会议和期刊出版物促进高质量的学术成果传播，并产生知识产权，帮助保持英国在电力电子机械和驱动器(PEMD)方面的竞争力，并处于该领域的前沿。如果成功，电机工厂将成为AM在电子机器领域的卓越中心，为未来的技能和人员管道做出贡献，并帮助提高技术准备水平(TRL)，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)和推动电子革命(DER)和未来飞行(FF)倡议的工业战略挑战基金(ISCF)所表达的国家优先事项。

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.