The Importance of the Cross Geometry over the Optimal Design of Asynchronous Traction Motors

In electric traction, the motors that drive the railway vehicles consume a lot of active and reactive electricity, so the operating costs are high. Therefore, a reduction of the operating cost is proposed, through an optimal design of the asynchronous traction motors. This is a very difficult problem, assuming the knowledge of the operating conditions, such as the load shocks, vibrations, mechanical shocks or high working temperature. Advanced mathematical models must be considered, accounting for the imposed constraints, e.g. the gauge conditions due to the space related to the rolling stock and the maximum torque. On this basis, an optimization of the motor cross section is proposed. The results obtained and the simulations presented prove a significant decrease of the asynchronous traction motor total cost, as compared to the motor used at present.