Analysis of Circulating Current in Electrical Machines Using Mesh-Based Magnetic Equivalent Circuit

This study introduces a novel method to rapidly estimate the circulating current between the strands in electrical machines. By utilizing mesh-based magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC), key parameters of each strand are obtained based on their positions in the slot and used for circulating current calculation. The modelling and calculation process of the proposed method is demonstrated using a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) as baseline. The results calculated from the proposed method closely align with those from finite element analysis (FEA) and are further supported by experiments conducted on a segment of the stator, validating the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. Notably, the proposed technique is applicable for various slot shapes and machine types, serving as a powerful tool for optimizing winding to minimize AC losses.