A critical analysis of standard methods for characterization of electrical steels: Losses in high speed induction motors

The demand for high speed electrical machines has increased recently, mainly in the electric or hybrid vehicles applications. Speeds as high as 13.000 rpm may be required, demanding new grades of electrical steels with improved magnetic properties. Such magnetic properties are typically characterized using parameters such as B50 and W10/400. However, improvements in these parameters do not necessarily translate into improvements of practical significance. This paper focuses on the performance improvements from newly developed electrical steels for high speed motors. Prototype motors were built for practical validation of the performance of these steels. Practical tests and finite element analysis are used to support the conclusions of this research work.