Development, manufacture, and qualification of stator components for a high-speed electric machine intended for aerospace applications

In recent years, advances in power electronics and materials have enabled innovative electric machine (EM) designs. At the same time, the environments and applications in which these electric machines are being used are becoming more and more demanding. For example, electric vehicles require electric motors that do not consume a large amount of space or weight, while still providing high power and efficiency. As a result, much research has begun to improve the specific power (kW/kg) and power density (kW/m^3) of these devices. Due to the steady increase in air transportation, electric propulsion systems are now also being explored as a way to reduce the energy consumption of long distance travel. Studies have shown that EM specific powers of greater than 13 kW/kg are necessary to enable this type of propulsion. This thesis provides an overview of the current progress related to electric aircraft configurations followed by an in-depth analysis of machine topology selection. Ultimately, an outside rotor permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) designed to produce 1 MW at 96% efficiency with a specific power of 13 kW/kg is selected. This thesis then shifts focus to the development, manufacturing, qualification, and assembly of the PMSM's armature windings. The innovative winding design that is addressed is a key enabler to the machine's performance due to its ability to push electric loading to 40,000 A/m, while only using forced air cooling. Finally, the thesis concludes with a summary of findings and suggestions for future work in this field