Thermal and fluid dynamical aspects in the design of an Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine with Soft Magnetic Compound Stator

The paper investigates the thermal behaviour of synchronous axial flux permanent magnet machines. Computation of thermal field is performed via a coupled thermal and fluid dynamical model based on finite element analysis. Different two-dimensional approaches are used and then compared on the basis of experimental tests performed on a laboratory test rig. The axial flux machine employed for tests and simulations has a soft magnetic compound core. Temperature field of the surface of back iron and windings are experimentally assessed and the implementation of the FEM model is presented