Designing the Insulation System for Motors in Electrified Aircraft: Optimization, Partial Discharge Issues and Use of...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Electrical aircraft motors demand high specific power and reliability.
• Partial discharges are a primary threat to organic insulation systems.
• Accurate prediction and mitigation of partial discharges are crucial for operational safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel approach for optimizing insulation system designs in electrical aircraft motors.
• To enable designs that meet specified life expectancy and failure probability.
• To explore methods for minimizing or eliminating partial discharge risks across all operational altitudes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new design methodology for motor insulation systems.
• Application of the methodology to turn, phase-to-ground, and phase-to-phase insulation.
• Analysis of design feasibility against IEC testing standards and reliability requirements.

Main Results:

• Optimized designs were achieved in some cases, while others failed IEC standards.
• The study demonstrates that partial discharges can persist even with conservative design criteria.
• Design feasibility is limited by the required safety and reliability levels.

Conclusions:

• Achieving zero partial discharge risk is challenging and may not be possible with current design approaches alone.
• Advanced, corona-resistant materials are essential for enhancing reliability and achieving higher safety margins.
• Further research into material science is needed for next-generation electrical aircraft insulation systems.