Rim‐drive marine thruster using a multiple‐can induction motor

Abstract

This study presents the development, analysis, manufacture and testing of a demonstrator multiple‐can line‐start rim‐drive induction motor for use as a bi‐directional electric thruster on‐board a tidal stream turbine. A simple ‘canned’ rotor construction was used to eliminate the requirement for a conventional squirrel‐cage rotor, to minimise the rotor size and weight and improve reliability, all the while providing compatibility with the sub‐sea operating environment. The experimental test results on a demonstrator 30 kW rim‐drive motor show good agreement with finite‐element analysis predicted results.