FEM and CFD thermal modeling of an axial-flux induction machine with experimental validation

Axial-flux electrical machines are ideal candidates as in-wheel motors for electrical vehicles (EVs). Due to their characteristics of high power density and compact structure, thermal management is vital for them. Lowering the temperature of the stator windings can protect the insulation material from rapid degradation and reduce the extra copper losses by decreasing their electrical resistance. Contrary to the widely reported axial-flux permanent magnet synchronous machines, thermal modeling methods of axial-flux induction machines are rarely seen in previous literature. Hence, the present work aims at investigating their thermal response based on both the finite element method (FEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. In addition, a test rig is built to validate the computed results of these two thermal models with the experimental measurement. The CFD conjugate heat transfer analysis is found to be more accurate than the FEM thermal analysis in predicting the temperature distribution of different components in the machine and the temperature rise of the airflow, with lower than 5 ∘C average errors deviating from the corresponding measured data at three rotation speeds. Additionally, the CFD simulation is able to capture the backflow occurring near the outlets of the casing that has been found during the experiments.