Electromagnetic and thermal analysis/design of an induction motor for electric vehicles

Induction machines are the most commonly used electrical machines in applications, since they are durable, easy to manufacture and control. Additionally, they require less maintenance and response different loads. In this study, the design of 115kW (continuous 85kW) squirrel cage induction motor is presented for electric vehicle applications. Main design constraints and performance criteria of the motor are determined, and the computer-aided design is performed depending on these values. In the design procedure, initially, an analytical design of the electric vehicle motor is performed depending on specified design criteria. Then, the analytical design is verified by using finite element analyses. Depending on the obtained results in electro-magnetic analyses, the squirrel cage induction motor for electric vehicle is modified in order to improve the obtained performance further. The electromagnetic and thermal analyses of the designed motor are performed by using Maxwell? and ANSYS software programs, respectively. The insulation class of the designed motor is determined by considering the maximum allowable temperature criterion. The analyses results show that the designed motor satisfies design constraints and performance criteria.