Experimental evaluation of a high-speed permanent-magnet machine

This paper presents the experimental evaluation of a high-speed, directly-coupled, multi-megawatt permanent-magnet machine. The maximum, continuous operating speed of the machine being evaluated is 15 krpm to match the shaft speed of compressors and turbines of up to 8 MW in targeted petroleum and chemical industry applications. The machine is characterized by high power-density and high efficiency. The design parameters and the predicted performance are corroborated by component, no-load, loaded and short-circuit tests. The thermal model and the cooling system design are evaluated and calibrated by the temperatures registered during the tests. The total measured losses and the allocation of losses across components is compared with the losses predicted by various analytical and numerical models.