Abstract
In this paper, we propose a calculation method for iron loss in rotating machines; the method employs the finite element method considering eddy currents in electrical steel sheets. First, the electromagnetic field distribution and iron loss of several types of electrical steel sheets are calculated by the proposed method formulated by a 1-dimensional model. The results are compared with those of experiments and the conventional method in order to verify the validity of the proposed method. The influences of the skin effect and magnetic saturation of the electrical steel sheets on the iron loss characteristics are also investigated. Next, the proposed method formulated by a 3-dimentional model is applied to several types of rotating machines. It is clarified that the skin effect is remarkable in the case of high-frequency harmonic fields and that the direct consideration of the eddy currents by the finite element method is indispensable in such cases.
