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Several high-performance motor drive applications require the motor drive to produce smooth torque with very stringent torque-ripple requirement. This paper is focused on various machine design considerations that can be used in reducing the torque ripple of a sinusoidally excited permanent-magnet brushless dc motor. The paper quantifies the various sources of torque ripple, which may be minimized by appropriate design considerations. The paper discusses the factors influencing the harmonic content of the induced voltage, effect of slot/pole combination, winding distribution, and magnetic saturation. Design optimization is directed to minimize cogging torque and the harmonic contents in the back electromotive force, thus reducing the overall torque ripple. Comprehensive finite-element (FE) analysis along with experimental data are provided to validate the theory. The research demonstrates that saturation in the magnetic circuit is another major contributor to the torque ripple and torque nonlinearity as the current increases. A model is developed to study the saturation effect on torque linearity and is verified by FE simulation. Design techniques have been provided to minimize the overall torque ripple and increase the torque linearity. Index Terms--Machine design, permanent-magnet machines, torque linearity, torque ripple.

A variety of techniques are available to reduce cogging torque in permanent-magnet brushless dc motors. Theoretically, all the techniques are quite effective for minimizing the cogging torque. This paper presents the efficacy of these methods in mass production subject to manufacturing tolerances/variations. The cogging torque minimization becomes a challenging task when the requirement is very stringent in applications such as electric power steering and robotics. Some of the known techniques for reducing the cogging torque are the magnet pole design, skewing, step skewing, and dummy slots in the stator lamination. They will be discussed in this paper considering manufacturing tolerances/variations when used in mass production. Finite-element analysis is carried out to determine the worst case scenarios. The research demonstrates that the cogging torque amplitude and frequency are highly sensitive to magnet shapes, dimensions, locations and magnetization pattern, as well as slot/pole combination. In reality, the cogging torque may not be eliminated completely but minimized to a satisfactory level depending on the application requirements. Index Terms--Brushless motor, cogging torque, manufacturing issues, permanent magnet (PM), torque ripple.

A sliding-mode observer is applied toward the operation of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive. The sliding-mode observer estimates rotor position and velocity to control the conduction angles of the machine. Conventional on-off control with hysteresis current control is included with the position estimation scheme. The particular case of an automotive brake system motor is considered in detail where the conduction angles are modified with velocity feedback to provide optimum time response to brake system commands. Nonlinear modeling of a SRM is described and a computer simulation is developed based on data from an experimental SRM system. The sliding-mode observer is implemented with fixed-point and floating-point digital signal processors (DSPs) and the discrete-time implementation is first examined under locked-rotor conditions. A comparison is also made between the implementation in two different types of DSPs. Alter confirming the accuracy of the computer simulation with experimental data, the design considerations in selecting observer coefficients with regard to sampling time, convergence rate, and transient stability are discussed. In conclusion, the effects of flux estimation errors on the system time response during a startup transient are examined. Index Terms--Position and speed estimations, sliding-mode observer, switched reluctance motors.

A variety of techniques are available to reduce cogging torque in permanent-magnet brushless dc motors. Theoretically, all the techniques are quite effective for minimizing the cogging torque. This paper presents the efficacy of these methods in mass production subject to manufacturing tolerances/variations. The cogging torque minimization becomes a challenging task when the requirement is very stringent in applications such as electric power steering and robotics. Some of the known techniques for reducing the cogging torque are the magnet pole design, skewing, step skewing, and dummy slots in the stator lamination. They will be discussed in this paper considering manufacturing tolerances/variations when used in mass production. Finite-element analysis is carried out to determine the worst case scenarios. The research demonstrates that the cogging torque amplitude and frequency are highly sensitive to magnet shapes, dimensions, locations and magnetization pattern, as well as slot/pole combination. In reality, the cogging torque may not be eliminated completely but minimized to a satisfactory level depending on the application requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]