Considerations on the preliminary sizing of electrical machines with hairpin windings

Although the standard preliminary sizing of electrical machines equipping random windings is well consolidated and is worldwide acknowledged to be a good starting point for the design, there is no proof of accuracy and confidence when it comes to hairpin windings. This winding technology is gaining extensive attention due to its inherently high slot fill factor, good heat dissipation, strong rigidity, and short end-windings. These features make hairpin windings a potential candidate for some traction application to enhance power and/or torque densities. In this paper, a comparative design is done using the classical sizing tools available in literature between two surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous machines, one featuring a random winding and one with a hairpin layout. The study aims at highlighting the hairpin winding challenges at high frequency operations and at showing limits of applicability of these standard approaches when applied to this technology. For verification purposes, finite element evaluations are also performed.