The International Electric Machines and Drives Conference (IEMDC) 2025, held from May 18 to 21 in Houston, brought together over 600 experts from academia, research institutes, and industry to explore the latest advances in electric machines, drives, and energy conversion systems. Among the key contributors was the EU-funded MARPOWER project, represented by its coordinating institution, LUT University, which presented two significant research posters focused on high-speed machinery and sustainable maritime technologies.
Advancing magnetic bearing technology
On Monday, May 19, junior researcher Kristof Szombati presented MARPOWER’s study titled “Axial Active Magnetic Bearing with Laminated Stators and Slit Rotor Disc Used in On-Board Machinery”. During his session, he discussed the challenges of eddy current losses that limit the bandwidth and performance of conventional axial active magnetic bearings. He received valuable feedback from fellow researchers in the audience, including suggestions to explore the use of soft magnetic composites as a promising solution to reduce these losses. The study’s proposed configuration, featuring laminated stators and a slit rotor disc, aims to improve thermal management and dynamic response. These improvements are essential for reliable operation in demanding maritime environments.
A multidisciplinary approach to maritime machine design
On Tuesday, May 20, Kristof Szombati shared insights into the complex task of designing the high-pressure shaft system of the MARPOWER archirtecture in the research titled “Multidisciplinary Design Approach for On-Board High-Speed Energy Conversion Machinery”. This second contribution detailed a multidisciplinary methodology that integrates electromagnetic, structural, dynamic, and operational factors into a unified development process. The approach moves beyond traditional sequential design by addressing interdependencies early in the cycle. This accelerates development and enhances overall system performance. A marine gas turbine shaft was used as a case study to illustrate how these advanced methods can support the maritime energy transition by enabling more efficient and resilient onboard energy conversion machinery.
Learning from the wider research community
In addition to presenting MARPOWER’s work, Kristof Szombati took the opportunity to explore a variety of sessions at IEMDC 2025 that offered broader perspectives on electric machine design and applications. However, he noted that few efforts are currently targeting the specific maritime electric machine design challenges that MARPOWER aims to address. “There were many interesting talks related to electrical machines in general, though only a few directly connected to MARPOWER”, he said. Two presentations, in particular, provided relevant insights. One addressed the tensile strength of permanent magnets, drawing attention to the importance of considering statistical variation in simulation limits. “It reminded me how essential it is to account for these underlying uncertainties when working on permanent magnet generator designs, like we are doing in MARPOWER”, he reflected. The other presentation introduced the concept of self-sensing, or sensorless, active magnetic bearings. “That session gave me a few ideas about how we might explore similar approaches in the future, especially in the context of simplifying onboard systems and improving reliability”, he added.
Three other researchers from LUT University, Miika Parviainen, Andrei Zhuravlev and Ibrahim Abubakar, also delivered oral and poster presentations at the event. Through useful feedback and engaging discussions with international experts, they gained valuable insights and broadened their understanding across various topics, including machine design, rotor dynamics, control strategies, and active magnetic bearing systems.
MARPOWER’s participation in IEMDC 2025 underscored the project’s commitment to fostering cleaner, smarter maritime energy solutions. By sharing detailed, research-driven insights with the international electric machine and drive community, the LUT University team helped bridge the gap between academic innovation and real-world marine applications, promoting sustainable development in the sector.
