High-Speed Induction-Machine Squirrel-Cage Rotor Mechanical Design Evaluation

Abstract

The design of high-speed electrical machines requires pushing the boundaries in each area of the multidisciplinary design process to achieve a high-performance product. The design process needs to employ rapid and efficient, yet accurate enough and realistic design tools. This study focuses on exploring the design of a high-speed electric machine rotor, specifically concentrating on thick-laminated squirrel-cage structure. The study aims to evaluate different short-circuit ring configurations to identify a configuration that can be built without resorting to novel manufacturing methods. Utilizing the well-known finite element method, the study incorporates material yielding, an essential factor for accurately assessing contact status in multi-layered rotor structures. Analyzing the yielding is also crucial when assessing the realistic load capacity of the machine. Squirrel-cage configurations were analyzed based on a megawatt-sized machine from literature. Resulted maximum surface velocities of the case study rotor lined up with the high-performance squirrel-cage rotor presented in the literature.