US2022037979A1PendingUtilityA1

Electric machine

60
Assignee: ROLLS ROYCE PLCPriority: Sep 18, 2018Filed: Oct 18, 2021Published: Feb 3, 2022
Est. expirySep 18, 2038(~12.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
B64D 27/31B64D 35/024B64D 27/33H02K 55/04H02K 55/00H02K 3/02H02K 3/14H02K 3/42Y02E40/60H02K 7/1815B64D 2221/00H02K 9/19H02K 2213/03H02K 7/1807H02K 7/1823B64D 2027/026B64D 27/24B64D 27/02B64D 27/026
60
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Claims

Abstract

An electric machine including a stator having a fully non-magnetic core and stator windings formed of a non-superconducting transposed conductor to reduce eddy current losses. It further includes a rotor having a fully non-magnetic core and superconducting windings or superconducting magnets which produce a magnetic field for interaction with the stator windings. A cryogenic cooling system is arranged to cool the stator windings to reduce conduction losses in the stator windings.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of operating an electric machine,
 the electric machine comprising: a stator having a fully non-magnetic core and stator windings formed of a non-superconducting transposed conductor; a rotor having a fully non-magnetic core and superconducting windings or superconducting magnets which produce a magnetic field for interaction with the stator windings; and a cryogenic cooling system arranged to cool the stator windings,   the method comprising: using the cryogenic cooling system, cooling the stator windings to a predetermined temperature of 223 Kelvin or below, the predetermined temperature minimizing a sum of eddy current losses and conduction losses in the stator windings.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the predetermined temperature minimizes:
     P   tot   =V ( P   eddy   +P   conduction )   
       wherein P eddy  and P conduction  are the eddy current losses and the conduction losses in the stator winding measured in Watts per cubic metre, V is a total volume of the stator windings and P tot  is the total losses due to eddy current losses and conduction losses in the stator windings measured in Watts. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the predetermined temperature is determined using predetermined conductivity versus temperature data for a material from which the transposed conductor of the stator windings is made. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , in which determining the predetermined temperature comprises using the predetermined conductivity versus temperature data and a conductivity value for the transposed conductor of the stator windings. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , in which the conductivity value for the transposed conductor of the stator windings is given by: 
       
         
           
             
               ρ 
               = 
               
                 
                   ω 
                   ⁢ 
                   
                       
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     Br 
                     
                       s 
                       ⁢ 
                       t 
                       ⁢ 
                       r 
                       ⁢ 
                       a 
                       ⁢ 
                       n 
                       ⁢ 
                       d 
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     8 
                   
                   ⁢ 
                   
                     J 
                     S 
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         wherein ρ is the conductivity value of the transposed conductor of the stator windings, r strand  is a radius of a strand in the transposed conductor, J s  is a current density in the stator windings, B is a magnetic field strength in the transposed conductor of the stator windings, and w is a frequency of the electric machine which is dependent upon a speed of the rotor of the electric and a pole-pair number n for the electric machine. 
       
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , in which B, the magnetic field strength in the transposed conductor of the stator windings, is the magnetic field at a location D S  corresponding to a mean diameter of the stator windings. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , in which, D S  satisfies: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   τ 
                   = 
                   
                     
                       k 
                       τ 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       J 
                       s 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       J 
                       r 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       f 
                       ⁡ 
                       
                         ( 
                         
                           D 
                           s 
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   
 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   
                     k 
                     τ 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     
                       μ 
                       0 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       π 
                       8 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     α 
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       h 
                       s 
                     
                     ⁢ 
                     
                       h 
                       r 
                     
                   
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   
 
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   f 
                   ⁡ 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       D 
                       s 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     D 
                     S 
                     3 
                   
                   ⁡ 
                   
                     ( 
                     
                       1 
                       - 
                       
                         
                           
                             h 
                             s 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             h 
                             r 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             2 
                             ⁢ 
                             g 
                           
                         
                         
                           D 
                           s 
                         
                       
                     
                     ) 
                   
                 
                 
                   n 
                   + 
                   1 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
       wherein:
 τ is a torque to be developed by the electric machine; 
 g is a magnetic airgap length between the stator and the rotor; 
 
       J r  is a current density in the windings of the rotor;
 α is an aspect ratio of the electric machine; 
 h s  is a radial height of the stator windings; and 
 h r  is a radial height of the windings of the rotor. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the electric machine is operated at a power of at least 1 MW. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the current density in the stator windings is, in operation, at least 8 Amps per square millimetre. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , in which the stator windings are supplied with an alternating current at a frequency of at least 800 Hertz. 
     
     
         26 . An electric machine comprising:
 a stator having a fully non-magnetic core and stator windings formed of a non-superconducting transposed conductor to reduce eddy current losses;   a rotor having a fully non-magnetic core and superconducting windings or superconducting magnets which produce a magnetic field for interaction with the stator windings; and   a cryogenic cooling system arranged to cool the stator windings to a predetermined cryogenic temperature of 223 kelvin or below, the predetermined temperature cryogenic temperature minimizing a sum of the eddy current losses and the conduction losses in the stator windings.   
     
     
         27 . The electric machine of  claim 26 , in which the transposed conductor is a litz conductor. 
     
     
         28 . The electric machine of  claim 26 , in which the stator windings are formed from wire strands having a diameter of less than 1 millimetre. 
     
     
         29 . The electric machine of  claim 26 , in which the stator windings are formed from one of:
 copper;   aluminium.   
     
     
         30 . The electric machine of  claim 26 , in which the fully non-magnetic core in the stator comprises a resin. 
     
     
         31 . The electric machine of  claim 26 , comprising one of:
 8 poles;   16 poles.   
     
     
         32 . A propulsion system for an aircraft, comprising:
 an electrical network for distributing electrical power;   a source of electrical power connected with the electrical network; and   one or more electric machines according to  claim 26  connected with the electrical network for driving a fan to propel the aircraft.   
     
     
         33 . The propulsion system of  claim 32 , in which at least one of the one or more electric machines drives a boundary layer ingestion fan. 
     
     
         34 . A propulsion system for an aircraft, comprising:
 an electrical network for distributing electrical power;   one or more electric machines according to  claim 26  connected with the electrical network for generating said electrical power; and   one or more electric propulsion units connected with the electrical network for propelling the aircraft.   
     
     
         35 . The propulsion system of  claim 34 , in which the or each electric machine is driven by a respective internal combustion engine, and optionally wherein the or each internal combustion engine is one of:
 a piston engine;   a turbomachine.

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