Course overview
To equip students with advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in the design, analysis, and application of electrical machines. The course extends fundamental machine concepts to advanced analytical design, finite-element analysis (FEA), testing requirement and equipment, and validation methods, enabling students to apply these skills to real-world machine design challenges such as electric vehicles, wind energy, and aerospace propulsion systems.
- Foundations of Electrical Machine Design
- Design and analysis of Permanent-Magnet and Synchronous Reluctance Machines
- Switched Reluctance Machines and Application of Electrical Machines
Course learning outcomes
- Describe the properties of different electrical, magnetic, insulating and structural materials and explain the trade-offs in selecting an appropriate one for a particular electrical machine
- Apply analytical design methods to develop an initial electrical machine design from specified requirements incorporating electrical loading, magnetic design, and mechanical constraints. Compute the performance parameters and develop an equivalent circuit model.
- Develop, solve, and interpret finite element (FEA/FEM) models of electrical machines (e.g., permanent-magnet or reluctance types). Demonstrate competence in pre-processing, processing, and post-processing to interpret results, compare with analytical predictions, and justify any differences between simulated and analytical outcomes.
- Plan and justify test/validation approaches; reconcile analytical/FEA predictions with test/expected data; quantify discrepancies and limits.
- Design and evaluate electrical machines for specialised applications (e.g., electric vehicle traction, aerospace propulsion, industrial, or household systems). Conduct a literature review to justify the selected machine type and performance objectives. Apply analytical, equivalent-circuit, and FEA methods to obtain, optimise, and validate the final design. Assess performance parameters and design trade-offs, and communicate results professionally through a technical report and viva presentation, demonstrating engineering judgement.