Design and Testing of PMSM for Aerospace EMA Applications

Abstract

The more-electric aircraft initiative represents an important technology step-change for the aircraft industry. The reduction of both fuel consumption and environmental impact are leading to alternative solutions for actuating the flight control surfaces. The traditional hydraulic systems, are progressively being replaced with electrically powered actuators. In this scenario, electromechanical actuators are gaining an ever-increasing importance as enabling technology for next generation aircraft. This paper presents the design and testing of a permanent magnet synchronous motor driving a linear geared electromechanical actuator for commercial aircraft. The experimental results are discussed throughout the paper and compared to the finite element ones obtained at the design stage. Finally, the machine is integrated into the mechanical drivetrain and the electromechanical actuator performance is evaluated through experimental tests carried out on a purpose-built mechanical demonstrator for achieving a high technology readiness level.

Insulation Capacitance as Diagnostic Marker for Thermally Aged, Low Voltage Electrical Machines

“…It is then clear that improved thermal management [17,18] and modeling [19,20], as well as thermal lifetime assessment and prediction [21,22] are of primary importance in the EMs design process. The aforementioned aspects are nowadays relevant more than ever, especially for high performance EMs employed in safety-critical applications such as aerospace actuators [23,24], where high level of reliability and fault-tolerance capabilities are a main requirement [25,26].…”

Machine Learning Based Correction Model in PMSM Power Loss Estimation for More-Electric Aircraft Applications

“…With the continual development of magnet material, permanent magnet (PM) machines have been widely applied in electrical vehicles, fans, drives, and compressors due to their high efficiencies [1][2][3][4][5][6]. And PM machines are commonly selected for electromechanical actuation in MEA concepts and applications [4,7]. However, the problem of designing an optimal PM machine is challenging because of the multiphysics nature of its operation.…”

Review, Challenges, and Future Developments of Electric Taxiing Systems

“…The semi-robotic dispatched towing employs more efficient and environmentally friendly electric (fully or hybrid) trucks for towing purpose. Instead, on-board systems are entirely located in the aircraft and they rely on the concept of an electrical drive system (EDS), which typically consists of an electrical motor, a power converter, a control system, and an electric energy source [28]. An advantage of on-board systems is the improved aircraft's autonomy, as it does not depend on ground crew or equipment, as well as the capability of implementing regenerative braking [29].…”