This paper investigates a 3-D coupled-field finite-element method (FEM) used in the simulation of the temperature distribution in air-cooled asynchronous induction motors. The temperature rise in motor is due to Joule's losses in stator windings and the induced eddy current in squirrel cages, and heat dissipation by air convection and solid conduction. The Joule's losses calculated by 3-D eddy- current field analysis are used as the input for the thermal field analysis, which is deeply dependent on accurate air fluid field analysis. A novel multicomponent fluid model is proposed to deal with the influence of rotor rotation upon the air convection. A test prototype is designed and manufactured. The good agreement of the temperature distributions between simulated and measured results validates the proposed methodology.
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