The energy efficiency of machines is nowadays an intensively studied problem. The efficiency of the induction motor is dominantly influenced by the rotor’s and stator winding’s temperature. The main goal of the research presented in this paper is to develop a methodology based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of internal and external aerodynamics, which is necessary for the optimisation of cooling of the induction motors. In this paper, the theoretical, as well as the numerical study of the internal and external aerodynamics of the induction motor, is described and verified by the experimental measurements. In the CFD-based numerical study, the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence modelling approach was applied to the flow field simulations inside and outside the induction motor. The complexity of the solved problem is increased not only by the geometric asymmetry but also by the flow’s asymmetric character caused by the fan’s rotation to cool the motor casing. This increases demand, especially on computational resources, as it is impossible to create a simplified numerical model incorporating symmetry. The volume flow of the cooling air and velocity between ribs was measured for the experimental study. Comparing the results of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and data obtained from the experimental measurement, we concluded that the results of CFD simulations are in good relationship with the results of experimental measurement and analytical approximations. An experimentally validated CFD model of the induction motor, the so-called digital twin, will be in the future used for virtual optimisation of the new designs concerning minimising losses and maximising efficiency, respectively.

The primary objective of the research presented in this paper was to design a methodology for analyzing the thermal field of an induction motor that would be of higher fidelity but less time- and cost-consuming and that would deal with air-cooled induction motors of all sizes. The complexity of the simulation is increased by the geometric asymmetry and by the asymmetric character of flow cooling the motor casing caused by the fan’s rotation. This increases demand, especially on computational resources, as creating a simplified numerical model using symmetry boundary conditions is impossible. The new methodology uses the existing findings from many partial articles and literature, which are modified into more accurate relationships suitable for predicting the external thermal field of induction motors. That way, we do not have to solve the thermal field by the conjugate heat transfer method, and it is possible to assess temperature gradients over the entire range. Furthermore, a new relationship between shear strain rate and thermal contact conductivity has been discovered that allows solving heat transfer of fluid adjacent to the internal walls of an induction motor at any location. That approach has not yet been published in the literature, so it can be considered a new method to simplify heat transfer simulation. An experimentally validated new methodology of the induction motor was performed. The so-called digital twin will be used for the virtual optimization of the new designs concerning minimizing losses and maximizing efficiency.

The paper deals with the simulation of cooling processes of the aluminium profiles inside the water quench. Cooling of profile surfaces is performed by water spray, which is created by mixing a water and an air in a nozzles. Formulas were found in literature, modified and applied to a given problem that significantly simplified a solution. The task of numerical simulations was to determine temperature and velocity profile on aluminium profile surfaces for establishing of the heat transfer coefficient which was used as the convective boundary condition necessary to solve the heat transfer in the aluminium profile by finite element method. The difference between FEM and CFD results is up to 10%.