Final Seminar Report
Final Seminar Report
Final Seminar Report
A Seminar report
Bachelor of Technology
in
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
by
ASHIK T BINOY
(LKGR21EE014)
I also declare that I have adhered to ethics of academic honesty and integrity
and have not misrepresented or fabricated any data,idea,fact or source in my
submission. I understand that any violation of the above will be a cause for
disciplinary action by the insitute and or the university can also evoke penal action
from the source which have thus not been properly cited or from whom proper
permission has not been obtained.
Date :
DEPT. OF ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING KIDANGOOR
This is to certify that the report entitled “Selection of Magnet Wire Topologies
with Reduced AC Losses for the Windings of Electric Drive” submitted by ASHIK T
BINOY ( LKGR21EE014), to the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in partial
fulfillment of the B.Tech. degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering is a bonafide
record of the seminar work carried out by him under our guidance and supervision.
ASHIK T BINOY
1
Abstract
In high speed electrical machines, one of the main challenges that can be faced is
the high frequency losses in the machine windings due to both skin and proximity effects.
The skin effect causes AC current to concentrate near the surface of the conductor's at
higher frequencies, effectively reducing the conductor's cross sectional area for current
flow. This increases the conductor's Ac resistance and leads to higher energy losses.
Simultaneously, the proximity effect occurs when conductors are close together, such as in
a winding, causing the magnetic field from one conductor to influence current distribution
in neighbouring conductors. This uneven distribution further amplifies the losses within
the winding.
To mitigate these effects a novel topology for enhancing efficiency, reducing heat
generation , and improving overall performance, while considering factors such as
frequency range, current density, and winding geometry is described. Using finite element
modelling (FEM), the conductors are subdivided into multiple strands to calculate the
losses in each conductor and in each layer. Further, four coil designs are prototyped using
different magnet wires or arrangements. Moreover, the design and performance are
compared with highlighting the pros and cons of each case. Eventually, recommendations
are provided based on the obtained results for a better selection of magnet wire.
The study effectively addresses the critical challenge of high frequency losses in
electric machine windings, specifically due to skin and proximity effects. Through a
thorough analysis using finite element modeling (FEM), various magnet wire topologies
were evaluated to minimize AC losses to improve the overall efficiency and performance of
high speed electric machines. The findings offer a practical framework foe selecting
suitable magnet wire topologies in electric drive trains, balancing factors such as efficiency,
operational cost, and performance demands in high frequency applications.
2
Contents
Acknowledgement...................................................................................................1
Abstract...................................................................................................................2
List of Figures.........................................................................................................4
List of Tables..........................................................................................................5
1 Introduction........................................................................................................6
a. Hairpin wires..........................................................................6
• Advantages of using hairpin wires............................7
b. Single round conductor.......................................................7
• Advantage of using single round conductors.........7
c. Litz wire...................................................................................8
• Advantage of using litz wire................................,.......8
a. Number of conductors....................................................10
b. Fill factor...................................................................................11
c. Number of strands..........................................................13
d. Conductor arrangements.............................................14
3 Conclusion...........................................................................................................21
References ...........................................................................................22
3
List of Figures
2.18 BH curve........................................................................................20
4
List of tables
5
Selection of Magnet Wire Topologies With Reduced AC Losses for Electric Drive Trains
Chapter 1
Introduction
Nowadays clean transportation is vital for the fight against climate change . The
industrial sector is increasingly focused on solution for zero emission transportation and
ecofriendly electric vehicles , driven by the replacement of fossilfuelpowered motor with
zero carbon green energy system. Electric vehicles (EV's) are rapidly evolving, with
significant improvements in the driving range and charging times. These advancements
depend mainly on the efficiency and energy density of the electric powertrains.
A crucial component in electric machine design is the magnet wire, which defines
the electrical loading capacity. Poor selection or allocation of conductors inside the slots
cause excessive amount of losses and poor fill factor (critical metric that quantifies the
efficiency of wire placement within the stator or rotor slots), highlighting the need for
reliable and economically efficient coil manufacturing.
High speed electrical machines are key technologies for EV applications, where high
frequency currents (upto 1KHz or higher) result in additional losses due to skin and
proximity effects, mainly in open or semiclosed slot geometries [1]. the global push
towards sustainable and green transportation has accelerated the adoption of electric
vehicles (EVs) as a key solution to reduce greenhouse gas emission and dependence on
fossil fuels. In the context of electric vehicles, the performance of the motor directly
influences vehicle efficiency, driving range, and power output. Reducing losses in the
winding becomes particularly important because the motor often operate at frequency upto
1KHz and beyond. Therefore, selecting appropriate magnet wire topologies that minimize
these losses is crucial for improving the performance of electric drive trains
The primary objective of this study is to compare different magnet wire topologies and
arrangements across a wider frequency range (upto 2KHz) including rectangular hairpin
wires, single round wires, litz wires .
Chapter 2
A crucial component in electric machine design is the magnet wire, which defines the
electrical loading capacity. Poor selection or allocation of conductors can leads to excessive
losses and poor fill factor, highlighting the need for reliable and economically efficient coil
manufacturing. Firstly classify the frequency range into low frequency, medium frequency
and high frequency range. Different wiring topologies are used in different frequency
range for example in medium frequency range hairpin wires are used and for high
frequency application litz wire topology is mainly used . Different type of winding
topologies are
• Hairpin wires
• Single round conductor
• Litz wires
• High fill factor (above 73%) : Hairpin wires have a higher fill factor due to their
unique rectangular shape and arrangement. It is arranged in a compact, space
efficient manner, allowing for more copper material to be packed into the smaller
area.
• Small winding head : Hairpin wires have fewer wire ends than traditional round
or stranded conductors, which reduce the size of winding head .
• Good speed torque : Hairpin wires have a large crosssectional area, reducing
electrical resistance and resulting in improving speedtorque performance.
• Simple and cost effective : Round wires are straight forward to produce , with a
simple circular crosssection and it can be easily bent and shaped to fit various slot
designs.
• Easy to wind and assemble : It has smooth surface, allowing for easy winding
and reducing risk of wire damage.
• Good for low to medium voltage frequency : At low frequency it has low skin
effect and proximity effect which reduce losses in a frequency range in between 5Hz
10KHz.
• Reduced weight : Some litz wires have a hollow core reducing material usage and
weight and the use of thin strands decreases the overall weight of the wire.
• More efficient : By dividing the conductor into multiple strands, the skin effect is
minimized, allowing for more uniform current distribution and by transposing the
strands reduce eddy current losses and increasing the efficiency.
• Low resistance : Some litz wire construction use high conductivity materials, like
silver or copper to reduce resistance and also because of transposing the skin &
proximity effect is reduced and resistance is also reduced.
• Increased current carry capacity:Lower AC resistance enables higher capacity.
Multiple thin insulted Single, soild wire with a U shaped wire with
wire circular crosssection rectangular crosssection
Reduce skin effect Higher skin effect and Reduces skin effect and
and proximity effect proximity effect proximity effect
Suitable for high Suitable for low frequency Suitable for medium
frequency application application frequency application
More expensive than Lower cost than litz wire Higher cost than single
single round wire round wire
In Fig 2.5 both copper and core losses are calculated as a function of frequency for
different number of conductors at same ampereturn (ATs) value. Copper loss decrease
with more conductors and core losses remain relatively constant. However at high
frequency (2KHz), the 2conductors model exhibits lower losses due to the proximity effect
increasing faster than the skin effect. Optimizing conductor numbers can significantly
reduce winding losses, especially at high frequency.
insulation thickness, winding technique, and the geometry of the slots. Achieving an
optimal fill factor is essential for maximizing torque and power output while minimizing
losses and thermal issues, thereby enhancing the overall performance and lifespan of the
machine
Studies are undertaken to investigate the effect of fill factor on coil performance
[1], by varying the layer heights while maintaining the same number of conductors. In Fig
2.6 illustrates the current density distribution under different fill factor for the same
number of conductors . Three designs were analysed with different conductor area A1, A2,
A3
reduces copper losses within main frequency range (100Hz2KHz). Vertical arrangement
only shows lower copper losses above 5 KHz Fig(2.13) illustrates copper losses v/s
frequency in horizontal arrangement lowest losses will occur in low frequency range. In
vertical arrangement higher losses will occur in low frequency range and in high frequency
range losses is less after 5 KHz.
Accordingly, the core is placed between two similar cores and the side coils are carrying the
same current. In Fig 2.14 (a), the side slots have a current direction similar to the
investigated coil, that is why there are no flux lines in the side teeth of the investigated
coil. As a result, the associated core losses are much lower as noticed in Fig 2.14 (a). On the
other hand, when the side slots have a reversed current direction as shown in Fig 2.14 (b),
the flux lines flow normally through the side teeth. Thus, the core losses are closer to the
single core case. As for the net copper loss, the conduction loss seems to be unaffected by
proximity of the side coils as seen in Fig 2.15.
Fig 2.14: Effect of current in the side slots on the magnetic flux density of the core .
Chapter 3
Conclusion
Using flat solid coils is the perfect option at low frequency up to 700 Hz, which is
the typical range for many types of electrical machines. Above 700 Hz, a multistrand wire
with 10 thick strands can have a remarkably better performance up to 1500 Hz. Due to its
higher resistivity, using aluminium instead of copper near the slot opening can limit the
AC losses. The hybrid coil combines the low losses with low weight and cost. So, it is the
optimal choice at high frequency domain for high speed electric drive trains.
Finally, many factors can affect the selection of magnet wire for electrical
machines depending on the application requirements such as frequency, wire flexibility,
production time, weight, and cost, or compact structure. So, when it comes down to
selection of wire, each option offers distinct advantages in particular scenarios.
References
1. Ahmed selema, Mehmet gulec, Mohamed n. Ibrahim, Ruud sprangers,, and Peter
sergeant “Selection of Magnet Wire Topologies With Reduced AC Losses for the
Windings of Electric Drivetrains” IEEE Journals vol 10, 2022
5. Y. Zhao, D. Li, T. Pei, and R. Qu, ‘‘Overview of the rectangular wire windings AC
electrical machine,’’ CES Trans. Electr. Mach. Syst., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 160 –169, Jun.
2019,