TRR 361:  Computational Electric Machine Laboratory: Thermal Modelling, Transient Analysis, Geometry Handling and Robust Design

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Systems and Electrical Engineering ; Mechanical and Industrial Engineering ; Materials Science and Engineering ; Mathematics ; Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 492661287

Electric machines have played a major role in energy conversion already for decades. Modern power electronics have brought major improvements and together with the advent of new materials and manufacturing techniques unprecedented opportunities for future innovation exist. Backed by advances in design optimisation and control, novel drive systems provide huge potential to further increase energy conversion efficiency, and thereby contributing to meeting climate goals.While current drive systems are operated in different environments and at variable speeds, current design procedures usually start with an expert’s choice for a particular machine type and topology. Dimensioning is then based on a limited number of parameters and well-chosen operation modes, typically at constant speed or torque. Thereby considerable opportunities for optimisation are missed. Only a paradigm shift towards a fundamentally new integrated simulation and design approach will allow the potential of modern electric drives to be fully exploited. From the outset, this approach must consider all relevant aspects of a machine, e.g. shape and topology, time-dependent operating cycles, complex material behaviour, uncertainties and robustness, new cooling techniques to push thermal limits, noise and vibrations and various key performance indicators. The modelling, simulation and optimisation of such a complex system pose an extreme computational engineering challenge.This Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) will lay the foundations for the next generation electro-thermal machine design to overcome the challenges of modelling, simulation and optimisation in these multiscale and multiphysical systems. In particular, we address (i) modelling of nonlinear material behaviour, e.g. hysteresis, losses and novel cooling strategies, (ii) simulation of coupled electronic-electromagnetic-mechanical-thermal multiscale dynamical systems, (iii) flexible geometry handling, involving rotating geometry and geometric design, (iv) multiobjective shape and topology optimisation, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification. The innovations in these areas will boost the predictive power of machine models. They will allow design engineers to take full advantage of the recent achievements in the conception of next-generation electric machines. For this, the CRC is organised in four scientific Project Areas, as well as an area of central projects for research training, research data management and project management. The four scientific areas are classified into electromagnetism, fluid mechanics, numerics and optimisation. All projects are interwoven, with the regular exchange of results, including models and algorithms. Validation is ensured by integrated measurements. The different multiphysical and multiscale aspects are tackled in a holistic approach with a project plan designed to fully address the interdisciplinary character of the task.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• International Connection: Austria

Current projects

• A02 - Isogeometric and Reduced Order Models for Efficient Drive Cycle Simulation (Project Heads Gangl, Peter ;  Schöps, Sebastian )
• A03 - Electric Machine Models with Adaptive Resolution (Project Heads De Gersem, Herbert ;  Mütze, Ph.D., Annette )
• A04 - Electric and Thermal Stresses in Electric Machine Insulation (Project Head Späck-Leigsnering, Yvonne )
• A05 - Multiscale Simulation of Hysteresis and Eddy-Current Losses in Magnetic Core Materials (Project Head Xu, Bai-Xiang )
• B02 - Highly Efficient Heat Transfer Through Multi-phase Cooling (Project Heads Brenn, Günter ;  Oberlack, Martin )
• B03 - Study of Thermal Load Peak Treatment in the Air Gap Utilising Turbulent Aerosol Flows (Project Heads Hussong, Jeanette ;  Roisman, Ilia )
• C01 - System Level Co-Simulation for Drive Cycle Analysis (Project Heads Egger, Herbert ;  Schöps, Sebastian )
• D01 - Data-driven Surrogate Modelling and Uncertainty Quantification for Electric Machines (Project Heads Loukrezis, Dimitrios ;  Schöps, Sebastian )
• D03 - Design Optimisation of Electric Machines under Uncertainty and Optimal Design of Experiments for Parameter Identification (Project Head Ulbrich, Stefan )
• INFZ02 - Research Data Management (DFG) (Project Heads Bali, Madeleine ;  Kummer, Florian )
• MGKZ01 - Integrated Research Training Group (DFG) (Project Heads De Gersem, Herbert ;  Schanz, Martin )
• Z03 - Central Administrative Project (DFG) (Project Head Schöps, Sebastian )

• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Co-Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Graz
• Participating University: Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Sebastian Schöps