High strain insulation systems for compulsator rotors

As the power density requirement for new compulsator (CPA) designs increase s, designers are driven to use more composites to reduce mass, spin the rot ors faster to store more energy, and operate the machine at higher voltages to increase machine power output. In any particular compulsator design, th e rotor windings are subjected to high strain levels as the rotor is spun a nd experiences radial growth. A critical component in the rotor winding des ign is the high voltage insulation. As the rotor is spun, the induced strai ns are applied to the insulation system on the coil conductors. This implie s that over the operating life of a compulsator, the coil structure and the high voltage insulation must remain structurally intact, while undergoing repeated cyclic loading. This paper presents the design and testing of a compulsator rotor winding t hat has been recently fabricated at the Center for Electromechanics at The University of Texas at Austin. The paper focuses on the testing done both a t room and elevated temperature to evaluate the winding structure and high voltage insulation system under both tensile and transverse strain conditio ns. Data presented suggests a factor of safety of at least five for strain to failure values and high voltage insulation good for at least twice line voltage after testing to strain failure.