2020 Publications

Feasibility Design Study of High-Performance, High-Power-Density Propulsion Motor for Middle-Range Electric Aircraft

By Ahmed Hebala ; Stefano Nuzzo ; Giuseppe Volpe ; Peter H. Connor ; Paolo Giangrande ; Chris Gerada ; Michael Galea

2020 IEEE 29th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE)

Year: 2020 | Conference Paper | Publisher: IEEE

Abstract: This paper deals with the design of a high power-density, high efficiency and low torque ripple propulsion motor for electric aircraft. The proposed design procedure resulted in a high-performance propulsion motor intended for a direct-drive solution on an 8–12 passenger commercial aircraft with a range up to 1000 miles. The electromagnetic design is firstly addressed and then the thermal management is discussed. A set of design development steps are investigated and validated through finite-element software, involving studies for the optimal selection of the of air gap diameter and the slot/pole combination, followed by improving the efficiency by suitable material selection and methods for losses mitigation. Finally, in order to prove the enhancement of power density and efficiency through this feasibility design study, the designed propulsion motor performance is compared to the state-of-the-art motors of similar direct-drive aircraft propulsion systems.

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