Electrical machines for harsh environments

• Main Author: Ayman M. EL-Refaie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2019-04-01
• Series: The Journal of Engineering
• Subjects: research and development; electric machines; research trends; technology development trend; smart grid; renewables; transportation electrification; harsh environments; electrical machine
• Online Access: https://digital-library.theiet.org/content/journals/10.1049/joe.2018.8181

There have been several megatrends over the past several years that have been driving research activities in the area of electrical machines and drives. These include transportation electrification (land vehicles, aerospace, ships, locomotives), expanded role of renewables (wind, solar, wave…etc.), and smart grid among others. One of those megatrends that continues to become more critical is electrical machines for harsh environments. In many applications, production has been moved to remote locations and harsh environments. These include subsea oil exploration, sour/acid gas compression, downhole and geothermal pumps, underground mining, and aerospace applications. This paper will provide an overview of electrical machine for harsh environments as well as the key technology development and research trends.