Precise Loss Estimation and Comprehensive Thermal Analysis of Axial-Field Flux-Switching PM Machine

Losses in electric machines produce heat and cause an efficiency drop. As a consequence of heat production, temperature rise will occur which imposes severe problems. Due to the dependence of electrical and mechanical performance on temperature, conducting thermal analysis for a special electric machine that has a compact configuration with poor heat dissipation capability is crucial. This paper aims to carry out the thermal analysis of an axial-field flux-switching permanent magnet (AFFSPM) machine for electric vehicle application. To fulfill this purpose, three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis is performed to accurately derive electromagnetic losses in active components. Meanwhile, copper losses are calculated by analytic correlation in maximum allowable temperature. To improve thermal performance, cooling blades are inserted on the frame of AFFSPM, and 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is developed to investigate thermal analysis. The effect of different housing materials, the external heat transfer coefficient, and various operating points on the components’ temperature has been reported. Finally, 3-D FEA is used to conduct heat flow path and heat generation density.