Paavo Rasilo receives major ERC funding for electromechanics research

Associate Professor of Electromechanics Paavo Rasilo has been awarded a €2 million ERC Consolidator Grant by ERC for a project called SMARTMAG – Controllable Magnetic Cores for Transformers and Electrical Machines.

In the five-year SMARTMAG project, Rasilo researches ferromagnetic cores that are used to guide magnetic fields in, e.g., power transmission and distribution transformers and electric motors.

According to Rasilo, such magnetic cores have traditionally been designed to guide a predefined magnetic flux to a predefined location, meaning that they do not actively participate in the energy conversion process itself.

“In the project, we are investigating the modification of flux paths in transformers and electrical machines during operation. The goal is to increase the functionalities of electromagnetic and electromechanical devices and improve their controllability,” Rasilo says.

SMARTMAG develops more adjustable transformers and may improve material efficiency

In the SMARTMAG project, researchers develop methods to influence the distribution and magnitude of the magnetic field in transformers and electric machines in real-time. This effect is achieved by modifying the properties of the magnetic cores.

The project includes fundamental research in which researchers model magnetic materials and develop solution methods for multiphysical field problems where, e.g., electric, magnetic, thermal, and mechanical stress fields are interdependent. The researchers also design prototypes to be tested.

According to Rasilo, better controllability in transformers could enable voltage regulation in the power grid more easily and flexibly than what is currently possible.

“This is essential for reducing voltage fluctuations caused by distributed energy generation and load variations. Novel material solutions may also provide new degrees of freedom for controlling electric motors, thereby improving their material efficiency,” Rasilo says.

The Consolidator Grant funding supports mid-career researchers and helps them strengthen their research teams. In this application round, the ERC awarded funding to 328 researchers. A total of €678 million was allocated to their research projects. Read more on the European Research Council website.