Experimental investigation of a Doubly-Excited Flux-Switching Machine for aircraft DC power generation

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on a new design of a Doubly-Excited Flux-Switching Machine (DEFSM) proposed for variable speed DC power generation in future aircraft. This machine uses excitation coils associated with permanent magnets to control the flux-linkage. This gives the possibility of using a diode bridge rectifier which is more reliable than an active bridge. After presenting its design and some of its main characteristics, an experimental investigation of the electromagnetic and thermal performances has been performed on a 3 kW prototype. It is shown that the generated power can be easily controlled using the excitation current which is very interesting for wide-speed-range applications. The unique design of the stator makes it possible to have a low remanent back EMF. This characteristic makes this machine inherently safe in case of fault since no flux weakening is needed. The thermal analysis has shown that the permanent magnets can be kept at relatively low temperatures which makes them more resistant to demagnetization. All of this makes the DEFSM a strong candidate for future aircraft power generation.

Design Optimization of a Hybrid-Excited Flux-Switching Machine for Aircraft-Safe DC Power Generation Using a Diode Bridge Rectifier

“…Its passive rotor makes it very interesting for high speed operations while the positioning of all active parts in the stator avoids the use of sliding contacts and makes thermal evacuation an easier task [9], [10]. The structure studied in this paper has a 10 poles salient rotor [11]- [13]. The cross section of the HEFSM in Fig.…”

Performance analysis of a novel outer rotor flux‐switching permanent magnet machine as motor/generator for vehicular and aircraft applications

“…Another important equipment in the vehicular systems is ground power units (GPUs) which is a 110-120 V, 400 Hz generator for grounded aircrafts [13]. The flux-switches machines (FSMs) are recently proposed for some applications such as electric aircrafts [14,15], linear machines [16], and vehicular systems [17], thanks to its high torque density. These machines are recently investigated in many applications such as GPUs.…”

Design and analysis of a three‐phase brushless flux switching generator for aircraft ground power units

“…Recently, the interest in the FSM has been increasing due to its suitability for various applications such as wind power generators [2], electric vehicles [3], electric aircraft [4,5], linear motors [6], and automotive application [7]. Besides its advantages such as: (i) a brushless construction, since both of armature and excitation windings are embedded in the stator.…”