A 3D CFD-based workflow for analyses of a wide range of flow and heat transfer conditions in air gaps of electric machines

Žnidarčič, Anton (author), Katrašnik, Tomaž (author)

Increasing power densities of electric machines in e-vehicles in addition to the resulting quest for enhanced cooling concepts are bringing forward the importance of defining adequate heat transfer correlations in air gaps. This is a highly challenging topic, as there exist no generally applicable flow and heat transfer phenomena descriptions for air gaps due to their highly variable geometrical properties and operating conditions. As an answer to this challenge, this paper presents a workflow that defines an adequate 3D CFD model for an arbitrary air-gap design that includes its system-dependent boundary conditions. The workflow is built on the recognition of underlying air-gap flow phenomena, which are used to steer the subsequent design of the 3D CFD model in a systematic step-by-step manner. Consequently, the complexity of the 3D CFD model gradually increases to the point where it provides an adequate flow and heat transfer description. Validation of the workflow is presented for a wide range of air-gap designs and flow conditions. It is demonstrated that the 3D CFD models obtained with the workflow match the experimentally obtained data from various flow cases that have been documented in the literature. Considerable optimization of computational costs, offering potentially an order-of-magnitude reduction in computational time, is achieved as a result of computational domain span optimization and transient simulations being applied only when required. The validation confirms that this workflow facilitates construction of valid 3D CFD models without the prior knowledge of flow and heat transfer phenomena in a specific air gap. This workflow thus provides a reliable and computationally efficient tool for valorization of convective heat transfer, and opens up prospects for time- and cost-efficient optimizations of electric machines’ cooling system designs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: heat transfer, air gaps, Taylor–Couette–Poiseuille flow, electric machines, 3D CFD analyses
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 10.08.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 28 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 7, iss. 8, art. 273
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-138761
• UDC: 536.24:519.6:621.313
• ISSN on article: 2311-5521
• DOI: 10.3390/fluids7080273
• COBISS.SI-ID: 118272003
• Publication date in RUL: 16.08.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Fluids
• Shortened title: Fluids
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2311-5521
• COBISS.SI-ID: 525935385

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 10.08.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: prenos toplote, zračne reže, Taylor-Couette-Poiseuillov tok, električni stroji, 3D CFD analize

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0401
• Name: Energetsko strojništvo

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport
• Acronym: MOTZART