Electromagnetic design of ultra-high speed superconducting motors applied to electric pumps in liquid-propellant rockets

Abstract

This paper provides an electromagnetic design for the 100 kW-class superconducting (SC) motor consisting of MgB2 armature windings and permanent magnet rotor; its stator part is made of non-magnetic and non-metallic materials. The SC motors, which are to be applied to future liquid-propellant rocket pump systems, are designed for the use at the ultra-high rotating speed: 50,000 rpm. The obtained results via the finite element method show that the output density of the designed SC motor reached 17.8 kW/kg, and that even at the ultra-high speed, total motor losses of the SC motor were so small as around 0.2 kW.