Electro-Thermal Model for HTS Motor Design

Superconductivity could become an enabling technology for all-electric aircraft propulsion. Historically, aircraft design is based on extrapolation of past experience, meaning that a new aircraft is an improvement of existing designs. Since an all-electric aircraft would be based on new technologies, its design requires the creation of new tools. Physics-based models have to be developed for all the components of the aero-vehicle. This paper presents a physics-based model for superconducting motors to be used in a synthesis and optimization program commonly used by aircraft designers. The model is able to generate a motor design from propulsion requirements providing weight, volume, efficiency, armature temperature, etc. The temperature rise in the armature is an important limiting factor in superconducting motors; this is calculated through a thermal model of the armature based on equivalent lumped parameter circuit. All the electrical and thermal parameters are used for optimization of the motor. The paper presents a design example based on a typical small aircraft.