Abstract
This thesis focuses on the study of multi-air gap machines and their limitations, in the framework of more electric aircraft and the project of moving aircrafts on the ground without the main engines. These motors, based on the use of mobile and fixed parts disposed in parallel, induce high performance. A study concerning the tolerance for the dimensions of active parts shows that performance can decrease if precautions are not taken during manufacturing and if the air gaps are not small. This manuscript presents a totally innovative system that permits the use of an air gap reduced to its minimum without reducing performance by friction. This system is called system of attraction control. In order to develop a direct-drive motor for aircraft taxiing, two different topologies of disc-type machines are studied and sized. The obtained results encourage the use of one of the two structures with reduced air gap to realize maximum torque in the fixed volume. To prove the feasibility of the innovative system on a disc-type motor, the conception of an entire laboratory prototype is proposed. Thermal modelling and simulations on the innovative system behaviour will validate the presented work.