AUTOmated Manufacturing of wound components for next generation Electrical mAchines

Project Information

AUTO-MEA

Grant agreement ID: 865354

DOI

10.3030/865354

Project closed

EC signature date 18 September 2019

Start date 1 October 2019

End date 31 October 2022

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 1 095 030,00

EU contribution

€ 1 095 030,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - AUTO-MEA (AUTOmated Manufacturing of wound components for next generation Electrical mAchines)

Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2022-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Aerospace industry is one of the main areas which can benefit of the arrival on the market of new power devices based on wide bandgap (SiC and GaN) semiconductors. Higher switching frequency enables higher fundamental operating frequencies of electrical machines, leading to smaller and lighter motors, generators and passive magnetic components.
However, as higher operating frequencies contribute to improve power density of electrical machines, they also reflect on increased power losses in windings, as well as faster devices commutations are known to trigger faster degradation of coil insulation and cause greater susceptibility to EMI.
Windings are currently a main bottleneck for improved performance. New coil forming methodologies and fabrication techniques are required for coil winding, which can deliver compact windings with high dimensional tolerances, high space fill factor and low losses.
The scope of AUTO-MEA was to develop novel methodologies and deliver an innovative and flexible coil fabrication system, which can provide programmable 3D formed coil shapes suitable for high frequency operation, to form a complete winding system for aerospace wound components.
The project concluded the 31st of October 2023. All deliverables were submitted, and all milestones achieved. The project achieved all the objectives. In particular:
• optimum designs of AC winding systems were identified. This are able to: minimise AC losses, withstand high dv/dt switching, be compacted for a high slot fill factor, be automatically formed to high dimensional tolerances;
• a flexible and automated manufacturing coil setup was development . It is able to shape coils to pre-determined 3D geometries, maximise fill factor and increase reliability;
• A specific use case was developed, together with the topic manager, to demonstrate the technology at TRL4.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project comprehends 8 work packages, reflecting different project stages. Each work package consists of two or more tasks, and it is supervised by a Work Package Leader in charge of controlling the correctness of the work and respect of the timeline.

For WP1, UniMoRe conducted an in-depth analysis on coil forming technologies and methodologies. Non-conventional hairpin geometries were proposed to achieve better efficiency at higher frequency of the supply current.

For WP2, an analysis of the requirements for the line was conducted based on the outcome of WP1. Samples were built and used for assessing practical feasibility and for experimentally evaluate the performance.

For WP3, the work package ran in parallel with WP2 and followed the outcomes of WP1.Considering the type of wires selected in WP1, the joining method was assessed comparing the performances of the different technologies against production or hiring costs

For WP4, consisted in the procurement of the components and equipment for the coil forming and joining setup, their assembling and testing. The setup is constituted by a number of substations, each one of them governed by a Programmable Logic Controller PLC.

For WP5, included all the activities that were performed to design and develop tooling for accurate coil insertion, twisting and finishing of the windings.

For WP6, UniMORE in close collaboration with the Topic Manager implemented the techniques and processes identified in the previous WPs, and adopted them for the design and manufacturing of optimized electrical machines based on hairpin windings.

For WP7, stator samples, produced with the developed manufacturing line were subject to a test campaign to assess performances according to key performance indices.

The consortium disseminated non-confidential results to the Research, Industrial and Public communities. The main dissemination activities involved the following actions:
• A web-site was realized within the first year of the project https://www.automea.unimore.it/
• The results of the research were submitted to international conferences (9) and scientific journals (2)
• UniMore organized the 5th IEEE Workshop on Electrical Machine Design, Control and Diagnostics, 8-9 APRIL 2021
• Special sessions (3) and tutorial (1) were organized at the major international conferences
• Participation to workshop and conferences, press articles and dissemination to Industrial partners.

The outcomes of AUTO-MEA include:
• an improved method to analyse AC losses in hairpin windings. This ensures the optimal selection of the winding system designed for high fill factor, improved thermal conductivity, reduced DC and AC losses, with the most suitable end winding geometry to accommodate innovative cooling systems.
• non-conventional hairpin geometries and design guidelines to achieve better efficiency of electrical machines at higher frequency of the supply current. The proposed technologies enable a number of additional degrees of freedom and new ways of designing winding systems of electromagnetic devices for any type of application.
• a flexible and automated manufacturing coil setup. The proposed technologies will have a direct positive impact on the productivity of winding manufacturing companies

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

This project generated a number of outcomes that are expected to have widespread impacts from the CS2 Work programme up to the aerospace industry and the environment. In particular, the major impacts are related to:
• Development of a flexible and programmable coil manufacturing setup
The ever-increasing push toward more and more power dense, efficient and reliable devices requires the development of flexible and automated manufacturing coil setup. AUTO-MEA fulfilled the stringent industrial requirements by making the coil forming, insertion and joining methodologies fully programmable, flexible and reliable. The proposed technologies, therefore, will have a direct positive impact on the productivity of winding manufacturing companies, where the high initial effort for automation will pay for high production volumes and thus for savings in labour costs, diminishing material consumption through efficient processes and an increase in energy efficiency.

• Identification of the optimum designs of winding systems for high frequency operation and improved power density and reliability
AUTO-MEA achieved preformed, stranded and twisted conductors to be manufactured through a fully automated and programmable winding process. This ensures the optimal selection of the winding system designed for high fill factor, improved thermal conductivity, reduced DC and AC losses, able to withstand high dv/dt and with the most suitable end winding geometry to accommodate innovative cooling systems. This will be useful for engineers and researcher working in the field of harpin windings and high power and torque dense electrical machines.

• Model for lifetime estimation and power losses
Models to estimate voltage stresses and power losses in electrical machine windings have been already developed. However, an improvement on these models is expected to be achieved for including the impact of new WBG devices with shorter rise and falling times of the converter’s synthetized voltage. Such studies represent a considerable improvement in terms of progress beyond the state of the art. Designers and manufacturers of electrical machines would benefit greatly from such models.

Prototypes of motor’s stators

Flexible coil fabrication system line and particular of the substations

Flexible coil fabrication system line and particular of the substations

Samples of manufactured hairpins

alternative winding design for reduced AC losses at high frequency