Grant: Alliance Grants

To achieve the goals set in the Paris Agreement of limiting the global temperature increase requires the development of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) as the transport sector contributes about 25% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, at least 20% of all road transport vehicles should be electrically driven by 2030. In Canada, at least 70% Canadian passenger auto sales will have to be ZEVs by 2030. Therefore, extensive research and innovations are required to advance the electric vehicle (EV) technology and help increase the public acceptance. This project aims to make EVs more efficient and affordable by developing a low-cost and high performance electric traction drive system (ETDS). This research project focuses on ETDS without rare earth permanent magnets for EVs. Considering cost and performance, wound field synchronous machine (WFSM) is a promising candidate for EV propulsion. In this research proposal, the applicants will design and develop a low-cost WFSM drive system with improved performance. From a machine design aspect, the team will perform sensitivity analysis on WFSM using intelligent algorithms to derive the relation between design parameters and the output characteristics. Further, novel WFSM topologies with different field excitations will be investigated using innovative electromagnetic models and multi-physics design optimization techniques. Scaled-down machine prototypes will be developed to test and validate the proposed design in laboratory. To achieve a high performance WFSM control, the additional control degree of freedom through direct regulation of the field excitation will be explored and utilized for good dynamics and loss minimization at high speeds. Novel control techniques will also be proposed to address challenges in a low cost and high performance WFSM drive, for example the control complexity due to additional asymmetric cross coupling between the direct and field axes and issues related to low frequency ratio at high speeds. In addition, low-cost control solutions with reduced number of sensors will be investigated. The novelty of this research lies in a synthetic design of a low cost WFSM drive system through electromagnetics and control optimization. The proposed research is expected to provide a product implementable solution of non-rare-earth permanent magnet traction motor drive to the Canadian and global automotive industry with reduced cost. This research project will train four graduate students in the area of electric machines and controls. They will all acquire research expertise and capabilities to advance electric motor drive technology and to help propel a paradigm shift in overall EV design. The advanced knowledge produced through this project will be beneficial in developing future EVs of much greater capability with reduced cost than those currently available to consumers. This project also supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Firstly, it supports SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) directly through technological innovation and the development of new ETDS for EVs. The proposed low cost and efficient ETDS contributes to SDG7 by making EVs mote efficient and affordable, leading to positive solutions towards SDG11 and SDG13 related to Sustainability and Climate Action.