Comparison of Aluminum and Copper Winding Materials for Switched Reluctance Machines with Finite Element Analysis

Today, with the decrease in fossil fuel reserves, interest in electric vehicles has grown. Undoubtedly, electric machines are one of the most important parts of electric vehicles. Studies on electrical machines directly affect vehicle performance. Since the electrical machine used is mounted on the vehicle, reducing the total weight without changing the output power will positively affect the overall performance of the vehicle. The windings used to create the magnetic field in electrical machines are made of copper. Electrical machinery manufacturers try to use completely different materials instead of copper or partially reduce its use. At this point, aluminum emerges as an attractive material for various manufacturers. This study analyzed the winding structure of a switched reluctance machine (SRM) proposed for an electric vehicle by using copper and aluminum at an equivalent resistance value, the results of which were compared. As a result of a 2D finite element analysis, it was observed that the machine’s output performance is largely kept when aluminum is used instead of copper for the winding. It was also observed that the aluminum total winding weight decreased by 43,40% compared to that of copper.