Investigation of Parameters Affecting Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow of a TEFC Electric Motor by Using Taguchi Method

Abstract

The thermal issue is an important criterion for the design of high efficiency motor. In this study, the numerical simulation on the thermal performance of TEFC electric motor is proposed. The parameters such as fin pitch ratio, fin dimensions and fan cover location relative to the fin are discussed to investigate the effects of them and decrease the winding temperature. In order to examine the various parameters quickly without suffering from a great number of parametric computations, Taguchi method is introduced to reduce the computational effort. The case studies results show the effects of fin and fan cover configuration on average temperature rise of winding. And it is found that the fin pitch ratio has a significant influence on average temperature rise of winding. These case studies not only provide physical insight into the thermal-fluid phenomenon but also find out the optimal combination of parameters from given levels by using SN ratio. An additional simulation is performed and shows a good agreement with predicted value. The new design proposed in this study shows 4.8°C decrease in average temperature rise of winding.