AC Loss Modeling in HTS Machines for Turboelectric Propulsion in Aircraft

As environmental concern increases, the aircraft industry is looking toward distributed propulsion to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. Superconducting turbo-electric motors and generators replace traditional high-bypass ratio turbine engines. However, superconductors are susceptible to large AC losses when subjected to variable magnetic fields. Thus accurate loss calculations are crucial in determining the optimum weight of a superconducting machine. This paper expands upon 3-D models, comprising a low fidelity zeroth order and high fidelity electromagnetic, thermal, and structural models, developed to size fully superconducting machines. Improvements focused on the electromagnetic analysis in the zeroth order model by updating solutions to the magnetic field and AC losses, resulting in more accurate solutions. Many superconducting machines use copper stator windings, eliminating large AC losses, but copper is resistive, requiring more mass to produce the same power as a superconductor. The mass of fully and partially superconducting machines was compared to determine which system is better suited for turbo-electric propulsion.