FEA Mechanical Modeling of Torque Transfer Components for Fully Superconducting Rotating Machines

T. Wu[1], G. Escamez[1], C. Lorin[1], P. J. Masson[1]
[1]University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
发布日期 2013

NASA is funding the development of a high-fidelity fully superconducting machine sizing tool able to generate optimized designs based on thrust requirements and design constraints. Several mechanical challenges need to be overcome during the design of the torque transfer components. Reducing the conducted heat load requires the use of different materials in the torque path, which requires special care to prevent damages due to thermal stress during cool-down. The model developed includes a fully parameterized 3D geometry representation of the rotor shaft and winding support. COMSOL Multiphysics® has been used to investigate the impact of the shaft components dimensions and shapes on the thermal stress, strain, displacement and torque-induced stress and deformation as well as validate the mechanical design of the shaft.