Multipole superconducting electric motors for ship propulsion

While a great deal of attention has been paid to two-pole superconducting synchronous machines, very little analysis of low speed, multipole superconducting synchronous machines has been done. Such machines may prove desirable as drive motors in ship drive systems. This paper presents the results of an analysis which assumes a motor of sufficient size that the airgap may be considered to be flat. A power output expression is given which shows the effects of machine geometry and superconductor characteristics on machine size. Based on this expression, a 40,000 hp 120 rpm motor is sized, and the resulting machine is compared with a conventional ship drive motor. The comparison illustrates possible size reductions through the application of superconductivity.