Development of a Conductor Shaping Algorithm for Reduced AC loss in Electrical Machines

The use of metal Additive Manufacturing to form electrical winding and busbar components is gaining popularity as both a prototyping and a production tool due to the ability to realise complex geometry, unparalleled by other fabrication methods. To fully exploit potential performance benefits, new design approaches and algorithms are needed. In the area of AC loss minimisation, a previously reported algorithm uses magnetic flux contours within the slot to shape and orient nominally edge-wound conductors to reduce AC loss at elevated frequencies. However, the algorithm is complex to implement and requires numerous iterations due to the interdependent nature of the conductor shape and magnetic field shape. In this paper, an alternative, less complex algorithm is developed in which regions of high loss density are systematically truncated to reduce overall AC loss. The algorithm is shown to be effective in reducing AC loss over the baseline, however, since the process is restricted to material removal and lacks ability to orient conductors in the present form, the AC loss mitigation is limited. Nevertheless, the reduced implementation complexity and scope for improvements to the algorithm could make it a viable alternative to the flux contour shaping approach.