Automated copper loss calculation for switched reluctance machines

Copper loss calculation in switched reluctance machines is important to predict efficiency and to predict temperature hotspots in the machine. Established calculation methods for alternating current (AC) copper losses are either inaccurate or time consuming. This paper presents a tool chain for copper loss calculation which enables fast and accurate model building and simulation procedure. Employment of the tool chain requires only a few minutes of attention by the design engineer, but provides high accuracy. The losses of each conductor are calculated separately over time. This enables detailed analysis of the winding design and the identification of the cause of the losses. With this method, an improved winding design can be easily identified.