Joshua graduated with a masters degree in automotive engineering from the University of Brighton. Most recently tackling the feasibility of a niche battery electric vehicle to be used by the local lifeguard at Brighton beach, he specialised in the drive cycle analysis and design of lightweight electric drivetrains. Previous to this, Josh was an avid member of the University of Brighton IMechE Formula Student team as a chassis kinematics engineer developing the front suspension system and his passion for vehicle design. At the AAPS he hopes to further explore the future of lightweight electric vehicle design, most prominently human-electric hybrid concepts, and the more comprehensive challenges this brings to the automotive sector.
The objective is to design a stator winding reconfiguration system which is commercially and technically attractive. The concept of reconfiguring the stator windings depending on the motor operating point is widely known to offer performance advantages in terms of motor efficiency and torque density for a given mass of rare earth magnets. From work carried out in the summer project it is also shown that there is potential to reduce the specification of power electronics.
Reconfiguration of windings between star and delta modes of operation is a common practice in industrial applications for start-up of induction machines, however commercial implementation of such systems for traction applications is almost non-existent owing to cost and packaging constraints. The objective is to develop and demonstrate such a system which could be commercially relevant in automotive traction motor applications, and to evaluate its efficacy.
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