Aerodynamic losses in switched reluctance machines

A computational and experimental study of aerodynamic losses in switched reluctance machines, with particular reference to establishing the influence of various design parameters and the merits of various prediction techniques is reported. The flow of air around switched reluctance rotors has been calculated by a series of two- and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic calculations. The results are supported by experimental measurements of aerodynamic losses of a 50 mm diameter switched reluctance rotor at rotational speeds up to 50000 rpm. The limitations of two-dimensional analysis are illustrated, and comparisons with aerodynamic losses in other machine topologies are discussed.