Thermal design

Specifications
P, m
Mechanical
design

Electromagnetic
design

Thermal design

Bearings

Power supply

Loss distribution in an inverter-fed motor

Loss distribution for sinusoidal supply

High-frequency flux related to the inverter supply

Figure presents the highfrequency flux associated
with the harmonic voltages
of the inverter supply.
The machine was analysed
in inverter supply and
sinusoidal supply with the
two supply voltages having
equal fundamental
harmonics. The flux
presented in the figure is
the difference of the fluxes
of the two supply modes.

Voltage and current in the loss simulation

Insulation classes for windings

Insulation class
Old system

130
B

155
F

180
H

Maximum temperature [C]

Average temperature rise [K]

130
80

155
105

180
125

A winding should stand for 20 000 h the temperature

defined by the insulation class (IEC 60216-1).
Montsingers rule / Arrhenius equation
A temperature rise of 10 K halves the expected live time of
an insulation system
L T

10 K

0 .5 L T

L T

B e kT

Characteristics of a permanent magnet

Equations of heat conduction

Heat conduction is a solid (or static fluid)
T

Conservation of energy
( c pT )
t

ph

Heat equation
cp

T
t

ph

= heat conductivity
= density
cp = specific heat
ph = power density

Thermal conductivities of some materials

Material / Part
Copper
Aluminium
Casted iron
Steel (0.1 % C)
Stainless steel
Laminated core (radial direction)
Laminated core (axial direction)
NeFeB magnets
Enamel coating of conductors
Slot insulation
Air at 50 C
Water at 20 C

[W/mK]
370
240
58
52
15 25
18 40
14
10
0.20
0.2 0.3
0.028
0.60

Problem: Heat transfer from solid to fluid

v

What is velocity distribution?

Turbulent or laminar flow?
x

Tm

Conduction or convection?
What is thermal distribution?

Ta

=>

Semi-empirical heat transfer

coefficient c for the surface
x

qc

Tm

Ta

Circumferential flow pattern in air-gap

Stator

Stator

Rotor

Rotor

Laminar flow
Reynolds number

Rr

Turbulent flow

Re

Rr

= density, = radial air-gap length, Rr = rotor radius,

= dynamic viscosity
Re < 2000 => laminar flow; Re > 5000 => turbulent flow

Flow distribution in r,z-plane

Couette flow with Taylor vortices:

Stator
Air gap

r
z

Rotor

Rr
2

Taylor number

Ta

Re

Rr

Rr

= density, = radial air-gap length, Rr = rotor radius,

= dynamic viscosity
Taylor vortices appear in air-gap flow, if Ta > 1700

Heat-transfer in the air-gap flow

Heat-transfer coefficient for the air-gap surfaces
From one surface to the air flow in the middle of air gap

Nu ;

Nu

, Tam < 1700

Nu

0 .1 2 8 T a m0 .3 6 7 , 1 7 0 0

Nu

0 .4 0 9 T a m0 .2 4 1 , 1 0 4 < T a m < 1 0 7

Nu = Nusselt number
Tam = Modified Taylor number (Tam

Tam

104

Ta for air-gap flow)

Becker K.M. and Kaye J. 1962. Measurements of diabatic flow in an annulus with an
inner rotating cylinder. Transactions of the ASME, Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 84,
May, pp. 97105.

Characters for air-gap flow

Re

Rr

Re < 2000 => laminar flow; Re > 5000 => turbulent flow
= density, Rr = rotor radius,
= dynamic viscosity
Machine A:
Machine B:
Machine C:
Machine D:

angular speed,

= air gap,

Turbo-generator 270 MVA, 3000 1/min

Hydro-generator 21 MVA, 125 1/min
Cage induction motor 4.75 MW, 1500 1/min
Cage induction motor 37 kW, 1500 1/min

Machine A Machine B Machine C Machine D

Re
Ta

660219
5.7E+10

21678
1.6E+06

13838
2.5E+06

702
3941

Heat flow over solid-solid boundaries with

an imperfect contact
An imperfect contact between
two solids affects heat flow rate
=>
Semi-empirical heat-transfer
coefficient c for the surface

T1

T2

qc

T1

T2

Contact
Aluminium frame Stator core
Cast iron frame Stator core
Rotor bar Rotor core

[W/mK]
350 - 550
650 - 870
430 - 2600

Heat transfer by radiation

Stefan-Boltzmann law
A T 14

Qr

5 .6 7 1 0
T1

T0
Radiation:

T 04

W
m 2K

T1 = 400 K, T0 = 300 K
=> q = 992 W/m2
2K,
=
14
W/m
c
T = 100 K
=> q = 1400 W/m2

Natural convection:

Analogy of the heat flow and electric current flow

Static fields
Heat flow

Electric current density

Conservation of energy

ph

Temperature field

Conservation of charge

ph

Electric scalar potential

=> The tools developed for electric circuit analysis

can be used to study heat flow

Thermal resistance
A conductor having a constant cross-sectional area
P
I

P = Power,
Temperature
difference

A
l

Equations for the heat flow and electric current (ph = 0)

P

q dA

J dA

T dA

dA

U
A
l

U
Re

Re

l
A

l
A

1D thermal network
ph
x

T1

T
d 2T
dx 2

T 0
T l

ph
ph

T
T

1
2

=>

T2

= constant; ph = constant
T x

ph 2
x
2

T x

ph
x l
2

c1 x

c2
l

x
l

T1

x
T2
l

Thermal network for 1D heat flow

T1

ph

T2

A thermal network for the bar with 1D heat flow

R1

R2
T2

T1
R3
Ta

R1
R3

R2

2 A
l

6 A

Ta is the average temperature of the bar

Matrix of round wires

Equivalent thermal conductivity for round conductors in

a stator slot

i(

d'

Simple thermal network for the PM machine

Basic assumptions
Temperature distribution is symmetric with respect
to the centre plane of the machine (z = 0 plane)
There is no axial cooling flow in the air gap
Core sheets conduct heat only in radial direction
Heat from the permanent magnets flow to the core,
only. There is no direct heat flow from PM to the
end-region air
The heat-transfer coefficients can be calibrated
based on the temperature-rise tests done for the
37 kW cage induction motor

Thermal network for the stator

Air outside
Boundary layer
from yoke to air

Heat source
Thermal resistor

Yoke

The two end-regions combined

Tooth

Winding

Boundary layer from

teeth to air gap
Air in air gap

End ring

End-winding air
Boundary
layers to
and from
end caps

Air
outside

Thermal network for the PM rotor

Air-gap air
Boundary layer from
core to air gap
core

Boundary layer
from PM to core

The original
cage induction
motor
The stator of the
PM machine was
borrowed from this
machine.

Thermal network for a cage rotor

Air-gap air
Boundary layer from
teeth to air gap
Tooth

Bar

The two end-regions

combined
End ring
End-winding
air

Results from the thermal networks

Temperature rise;
PM machine

Pshaft = 37 kW
Induction machine

T [K]
Yoke
Stator winding
- core region
- end winding
Air gap
Permanent magnet
End-winding air

32
48
51
47
54
21

T [K]
Yoke
Stator winding
- core region
- end winding
Air gap
Rotor cage
End-winding air

56
84
89
102
136
86

Results from the thermal networks II

Maximum power from the PM machine if the temperature of
the stator winding is allowed to rise by 90 K is
P = 55 kW
T [K]
Yoke
Stator winding
- core region
- end winding
Air gap
Permanent magnet
End-winding air

51
82
89
69
76
37

Note: The temperature rise of the permanent magnets is close to a

maximum that can be allowed for NdFeB magnets. If a higher temperature
rise is expected, SmCo magnets could be used.

Validation Cage induction machine

Current Temperature
Voltage
sensors
Power

Grid

~
Frequency
converter

IM

DCG

Torque

Temperature-rise test
140

Temperature rise [K]

120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0

Time [h]

Thermocouples in end-windings
Steady state when the temperature rise per half an
hour is less than 1 K.

Cooling-down curve at the end of test

0.169

120

0.168

118
116
Temperature [C]

Resistance [C]

0.167
0.166
0.165
0.164

114
112
110
108
106

0.163

104
0.162

102
100

0.161
0

20

40

60

Time [s]

80

100

20

40

60

80

100

Time [s]

Stator resistance is measured after the switch-off of the supply.

Switch-off at time instant t = 0.

R
R0

T 235 C
T0 235 o C

Reference resistance 0.1235

Ambient temperature 29 C
Temperature rise about 87 C

at 22 C

Literature on thermal analysis of electrical machines

Lumped parameter thermal models
Hak J., Lsung eines Wrmequellen-Netzes mit Bercksichtigung der Khlstrme.
Archiv fur Elecktrotechnik, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 138-154, 1956.
Mellor P.H.; Roberts D.; Turner D.R., Lumped parameter thermal model for electrical
machines of TEFC design, Proc. Inst. Elect. Eng., pt. B, vol.138, pp.205218, 1991.

Numerical thermal field analysis

Armor A.F.; Chari M.V.K., Heat flow in the stator core of large turbine generators by
the method of three-dimensional finite elements, Part I: Analysis by scalar potential
formulation; Part II: Temperature distribution in the stator coreIEEE Trans. Power
App. Syst., vol. PAS-95, pp.16481656, 16571668, Sept./Oct. 1976.
Driesen J., Coupled electromagnetic-thermal problems in electrical energy
transducers. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Applied Sciences, K. U. Leuven, 2000.
Kolondzovski Z., Thermal and mechanical analyses of high-speed permanentmagnet electrical machines, PhD Thesis, Aalto University, 2010, available at:
http://lib.tkk.fi/Diss/2010/isbn9789526032801/