Thermal Analysis of

Electric Machines
Motor-CAD
Create, Design, Engineer!

Brief Look at MotorCAD

geometry input using
dedicated editors
select materials, cooling
options
All difficult heat transfer
data calculated
automatically
lumped circuit solved to
calculate steady-state
and transient
performance

Thermal Network Analysis

similar to electrical network

thermal resistances rather than

electrical resistances

power sources rather than current

sources (losses)

thermal capacitances rather than

electrical capacitors

nodal temperatures rather than

voltages

power flow through resistances

rather than current

In Motor-CAD the thermal network

is automatically set up based on
the motor geometry and cooling
type selected

MotorCAD Motor Types

Brushless Permanent Magnet
(BPM)

Induction
(IM)

Switched Reluctance (SRM)

MotorCAD Motor Types

Brush Motor PMDC
Inside Out (BPM-OR)

Claw Pole (CLW)

Synchronous Motor (SYNC

Motor-CAD includes proven models for an extensive range

of cooling types
Natural Convection (TENV)
many housing design types
Forced Convection (TEFC)
many fin channel design types
Through Ventilation
rotor and stator cooling ducts
Open end-shield cooling
Water Jackets
many design types (axial and circumferential ducts)
stator and rotor water jackets
Submersible cooling
Wet Rotor & Wet Stator cooling
Spray Cooling
Direct conductor cooling
Slot water jacket
Conduction
Internal conduction and the effects of mounting
Radiation
Internal and external

Cooling Types

Housing Types
Many housing designs can be
modeled and optimized
the designer selected a

housing type that is

appropriate for the cooling
type to be used and then
optimizes the dimensions,
e.g. axial fin dimensions
and spacing for a TEFC
machine

Steady State or Transient

Steady-State schematic diagram eases understanding

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Steady State or Transient

simple transient or complex duty cycle load analysis

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Accurate results

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Radial & Axial Cross-Section Editors

Geometry is described
using the dedicated radial &
axial cross-section editors
input the dimensions of the
design under consideration
both the radial and axial crosssection are defined because
end effects such as gaps
around the end winding can
have a significant impact on
cooling

The editors provides visual

feedback
reduced incidence of input
errors
insight into importance of heat
transfer paths
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Ease of Inputs
Drop down selection editors for
geometric options
magnet shape, bar shape, slot

types, etc.

Numeric editor for dimensions

long parameter names help

identify parameter meaning, e.g.

Slot Number
Help describing the parameter
being pointed at give on status
line
press F1 for more detailed help

Components are colour coded

to Schematic Network diagram
import from SPEED software
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Winding Input
layered winding model used to:
automatically calculate a set of
thermal resistances from slot wall to
winding hot-spot
give visualization of the proportion of
components in the slot (liner, copper,
enamel, impregnation)

models for overlapping or nonoverlapping (bobbin) type endwindings

slot fill or conductors per slot input
options
end winding fill or MLT input options
conductor size input or selected from
a wire table
able to easily model impregnation
goodness and its effect on
temperature rise
data can be imported from SPEED

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Select the Cooling Method

Extensive range of cooling
options available
The heat transfer and flow
network circuits are set up
automatically based on the
selection of cooling types
used
The most appropriate
algorithm used to calculate
convection heat transfer &
pressure drops are set up
automatically in the MotorCAD calculation
benefits from the extensive

research on convection &

flow analysis correlations
done previously by Motor
Design Ltd
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Losses are input for the

following:

Losses

copper
iron
windage
bearings
etc

Accuracy of temperature
prediction depends on accuracy
of loss prediction
Losses can be imported directly
from SPEED software or come
from FEA or test data
Algorithms built into Motor-CAD
to model loss variation with

temperature, speed and load

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Material Thermal Properties

The user can input a components material thermal data directly (thermal
conductivity, specific heat and density) or select a material from the built in
database
The materials weight is calculated and used in thermal transient calculations
Adjustments can be made to weights if required, i.e. to account for terminal
boxes, etc.

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Material Database

add new materials to the existing material database

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Interface between
two components
with microscopic
rough surfaces

Interface Gaps
Used to investigate the effect
of interface gaps between
components on thermal
performance
modeled as an effective
airgap so giving physical
insight to the user
default settings are for a
typical industrial machine
extensive testing has been
done to set the default
values for parameters in
Motor-CAD

Using sensitivity analysis we

can quickly and easily
quantify the effect of
manufacturing options and
tolerances on the thermal
performance

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Through Ventilation Model

Both the heat transfer and flow network analysis circuits are automatically set
up and calculated for a through ventilated machine
The user has several options for defining the air flow paths
range of stator and rotor ducting designs

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Motor Mounting

Mounting can have a significant impact on thermal behavior

35% - 50% of total loss can be dissipated through the flange in servo motor designs
NEMA rating test method for flange/foot mounted motors allow the motor to be attached
to a plate
these can be modeled in Motor-CAD
The mounting can also be modeled using a fixed temperature of a component or an
amount of power input at a node
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colour-coded to cross section

editors
options to display
Resistance :
Label
Resistance value
Power Flow
Temp Difference
Node :
Label
Temperature value
Capacitance value
most nodes have more than
one resistance between them
e.g. stator back iron
thickness + interface gap
+ housing thickness
component values
shown to help identify
main cooling constraints
schematic show final results of
a thermal calculation

Schematic Diagram

In this example we see

that the main component
of resistance between
housing and stator back
iron is due to the effective
interface gap
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Node Temperatures
Node data put directly on motor crosssection to give a quick and easy
method of visualizing the
temperature distribution in the
machine

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Motor-CADs multi-parametric solver

capabilities with automated
graphing is very useful to help
identify the main constraints to
cooling and for studying the effects
of manufacturing options and
tolerances on the cooling
performance

Inbuilt Sensitivity Analysis

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Duty Cycle Thermal Transient Analysis

here we see an example of dutycycle load analysis carried out in
Motor-CAD
the complex load is input using
the duty cycle editor
it can also be imported from
Excel, Matlab, etc

we have excellent agreement

between the calculated thermal
response and measured
temperatures

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Transient Soak Back Analysis

winding

turn off & take out of

water (no loss/less
cooling)

housing

Soak back analysis is important in applications such some aerospace machines

soak back is used to check heating of the housing when the machine is turned off

When turned off the losses are zero but any forced cooling of the machine also often stops
such that the housing increases in temperature due to heat soaking back from the hot winding

Example shown above:

motors driving propellers on a small submersible craft fitted with a camera

there is very good cooling when the craft is moving under water
to remove the craft from the water it is moved to surface and motors turned off
the craft is then removed from water by operator
the losses are now zero but the housing increases in temperature (soak back)
Motor-CAD was used to ensure the housing is not too hot for safe handling?
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Examples of Previous Motor-CAD Projects

Motor Miniaturization
Improved Impregnation
Radial Cooling Fin Optimization
Axial Cooling Fin Optimization
Through Ventilation
Submersible Motor
Aerospace Duty Cycle Analysis
Automotive Duty Cycle Analysis
Automotive PMDC
Servo motor duty cycle analysis
Outer rotor BPM modelling
Transient winding faults

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Motor-CAD in Use (Motor Miniaturization)

Existing Motor:

50mm active length

130mm long housing

New Segmented Motor:

50mm active length
100mm long housing
34% more torque for same
temperature rise

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Motor-CAD in Use (Motor Miniaturization)

new potting/impregnation materials

previous materials: k = 0.2W/m/C: 6%-8% reduction in

temperature,
new materials: k = 1W/m/C (larger values now available):

15% reduction in temperature.

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Motor-CAD in Use (Radial Fin Optimization)

increased rating
shown for fin
design optimised
using Motor-CAD
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Motor-CAD in Use (Some IMs modeled)

Temp. of the winding predicted to within 5%

315mm Shaft Height, Cast Housing

80mm Shaft Height, Aluminium Housing

200mm Shaft Height, Cast Housing

480mm Diameter, Water Cooled

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Motor-CAD in Use (Through Ventilation model)

Temp. of the winding predicted to within 2C

1150hp IM
Details in paper at
ICEM 2002
Tw(test) = 157C
Tw(calc) = 159C

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Through Ventilation model

duct systems available:

flow circuit
automatically
calculated

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Motor-CAD in Use (Soak Back Analysis)

submersible analysis:
good cooling when
moving under water
motor turned off and
removed from water
losses = 0 but
housing increases in
temperature
safe handling?

winding

housing

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Motor-CAD in Use
(Aerospace Duty Cycle Analysis)
duty-cycle analysis on an aerospace
application with a short term load
requirement

the motor needed to withstand two cycles

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Motor-CAD in Use
(Automotive Duty Cycle Analysis)
automotive applications (power
steering, braking, etc) can have
very complex load cycles:
Motor-CAD very useful here
data can be created in Excel
and imported into Motor-CAD

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