Design and testing of a high-speed aerospace permanent magnet starter/generator

Abstract

This paper presents the implementation of a surface mounted permanent magnet machine for use as an aerospace starter/generator. The application requires a starting torque significantly exceeding the maximum generator torque, as well as a fail-safe design that can withstand short-circuits. These requirements conflict and the impact on basic inverter and machine performance is analyzed. A machine is designed and analyzed in detail, highlighting winding and rotor eddy-current loss effects. The machine is manufactured and the basic performance is tested to confirm the models.