Loss coefficient characterisation for high frequency, high flux density, electrical machine applications

This paper forms part of a broader study on the design of an unconventional, high speed, switched reluctance machine (SRM), for automotive traction applications making use of soft magnetic composite (SMC) material. The aim is to have this machine operate at a fundamental frequency of up to 4 kHz. Another characteristic is that switched reluctance machines tend to be operated in deep saturation a lot. Furthermore, the flux waveforms of these machine are non-sinusoidal in nature. Due to the expected high core loss, the main aim of the study in this paper is to accurately characterise the loss coefficients experimentally for eventual use in finite element (FE) analysis. The need for these experiments comes from the fact that very limited data is supplied by most manufacturers, especially at high frequencies and flux densities.