Design and Performance Analysis of a 2.5 MW-Class HTS Synchronous Motor for Ship Propulsion

The development of cryogenic technology and high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials has seen continued interest worldwide in the development of HTS machines since the late 1980s. In this paper, the authors present a conceptual design of a 2.5 MW class synchronous motor. The structure of the motor is specified and the motor performance is analyzed via a three-dimensional model using the finite element method (FEM). Rotor optimization is carried out to decrease the harmonic components in the air gap field generated by HTS tapes. Based on the results of this 3D simulation, the determination of the operating conditions and load angle is discussed with consideration to the HTS material properties. The economic viability of air-core and iron-core designs is compared. The results show that this type of HTS machine has the potential to achieve an economic, efficient and effective machine design, which operates at a low load angle, and this design process provides a practical way to simulate and analyze the performance of such machines.