PhD student Brian Wolhaupter with Advisor K. Haran

Fully superconducting electric machines can achieve higher efficiency and power density values than conventional machines but bring with them a host of challenges. Due to the cryogenic temperatures at which the superconducting stator windings must operate, the inverter that drives the machine must either operate at similar temperatures or be physically separated from the machine to keep the inverter at an appropriate temperature. The latter approach has been used for previous machine drives, but it limits the power density of the powertrain. This project is working on an inverter that is capable of continuous operation while immersed in liquid nitrogen. Using liquid nitrogen to cool the inverter simplifies the cooling system and allows for machine-inverter integration, improving the overall system power density.