Design and implementation of a motor for air-conditioning compressors in electric vehicles

With the recent advent of electric vehicles, electricity is considered comparable to the conventional internal combustion engine in terms of a power source. Hence, the sub-systems of electric vehicles such as air-conditioners require new designs. This thesis focuses on the design of a motor suitable for driving a vehicle’s air-conditioning compressor. The variables in the simplified magnetic model were chosen using the MOST(multifunctional optimization system tool), and the final variables were verified and refined by means of finite element analysis (FEA). Next, the flux linkages calculated by the FEA were transformed into vector space. The current, and flux linkage with respect to direct- and quadrature-coordinate system were discussed, and the performance of the motor was estimated using torque and voltage equations. Then, the torque-speed(T-N) curves were compared while considering inductance-coupling. Finally, a performance test was conducted on a dynamometer, and the experimental results showed that the motor performance was achieved as original specifications. The optimally designed motor was also successfully implemented on an air-conditioning system of an electrical vehicle.