Effect of Winding Configuration on Six-Phase Induction Machine Parameters and Performance

Six-phase induction machines have mostly shown promise in high-power electric drive applications as well as wind energy conversion systems. Different winding configurations for six-phase stators have been published, namely, dual three-phase (D3P), symmetrical six-phase (S6P), and asymmetrical six-phase (A6P) winding layouts. Although a body of research investigating six-phase machines and their control for different six-phase winding arrangements exists, a thorough comparative study between these different arrangements in terms of machine parameters and performance, has not been done so far. This paper employs a 12-phase stator with a configurable terminal box to compare different six-phase configurations by simply reconnecting the stator terminals of the twelve phases in different manners to obtain an equivalent six-terminal stator. This way, the same stator machine dimensions and copper volume will be assumed for all connections. The comparative study focuses on the effect of winding connection on machine parameters of the different subspaces, phase current quality and machine characteristic curves. Experimental validation has been carried out using a 1kW prototype system.