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In this study, an investigation of winding structures is performed for 3-phase unbalanced and asymmetric winding permanent magnet (PM) machines including different slot-pole combinations. There are two different cases for unbalanced winding (UBW) structure: 1) Stator slot number of the machine is divisible by three, 2) Stator slot number of the machine is not divisible by three. Only the first case is examined in this paper. The unbalanced winding layouts are created for minimum unbalance and maximum winding factor. Total magneto motive force (MMF) distributions for nine different slot-pole combinations and their harmonic contents are presented. Variation of the amount of unbalance for different slot-pole combinations is also provided in the paper. Key issues arising from the asymmetric and unbalanced windings such as degree of asymmetric and unbalanced magnetic pull are explored. A prototype motor with 39-slots and 12-poles has been manufactured for experimental verification. A comparison between the finite element analysis (FEA) results and experimental results is presented for the prototype motor for both no-load and on-load conditions. It is shown that the asymmetric and unbalanced winding PM motors have significant potential for applications requiring smooth torque operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the influence of stator/rotor pole number combinations and permanent magnet (PM) numbers on electromagnetic performance of consequent-pole hybrid excited flux reversal machines (CP-HEFRMs), which have different numbers of PM poles and iron poles and concentrated AC and DC windings on the stator and a salient pole rotor. PMs in the slots of one stator pole are magnetized radially in the same direction, while opposite on adjacent stator poles. Magnetic field paths of DC, PM, and hybrid excitations are investigated. The phenomenon of flux cancellation, i.e., PM and DC MMFs in CP-HEFRMs are of opposite polarities in the flux-enhancing operating mode, is revealed and verified, for the first time, as the key feature that makes CP-HEFRMs different from other hybrid excited machines. Consequently, the saturation in stator pole and yoke can be mitigated and hence the overload capability of DC excitation is enhanced, which is verified by finite element analysis (FEA). Global optimizations are utilized to obtain the optimal rotor and stator pole number combinations and PM numbers for each stator pole. Torque, torque ripple, inductance, unbalanced magnetic force, and flux regulation capability are compared for different PM numbers and rotor pole numbers. Comparisons are made on consequent-pole and non-consequent-pole topologies in terms of torque capacity, flux regulation capability, and PM consumption to further illustrate the advantages of consequent-pole topology. A prototype machine is built and tested to validate the analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consequent-pole (CP) permanent magnet (PM) configuration suffers asymmetric electromagnetic characteristics although it saves PM usage. The CP-based stator-PM synchronous machines are investigated in this paper, with particular reference to symmetrical issues. The electromagnetic performances of the CP-based stator-PM synchronous machines are firstly evaluated. Afterwards, the rule of even order harmonics cancellation is presented for different slot/pole number combinations and winding layouts, based on which symmetrical phase flux-linkages can be obtained although the unbalanced magnetic flux naturally occurs. Moreover, based on the three-dimensional finite element analysis, the unipolar end leakage-flux caused by the asymmetric magnetic field is identified, and the risk of the shaft magnetization is revealed. Finally, a pair of prototype machines are fabricated and measured to validate the analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetric interior permanent magnet (AIPM) rotor topologies can achieve torque enhancement in IPM synchronous machines without the increase of PM usage due to utilizing magnetic-field-shifting (MFS) effect by reducing the current angle difference between maximum PM and reluctance torque components. This paper investigates the influence of armature reaction on MFS effect in AIPM machines. A general model of IPM machines considering MFS effect is analytically developed and the AIPM and IPM machines using the same stator, rotor diameter and total PM amount are comparatively studied. It shows that the armature reaction affects the MFS effect in both AIPM and IPM machines and the influence is more significant in AIPM machine. The relationships between MFS effects in PM flux-linkage and inductance characteristics and current angles for maximum PM and reluctance torque components are revealed. It confirms that the change of current angles of torque components is due to the MFS effect in PM flux-linkage and inductance characteristics in both AIPM and IPM machines. Besides, the developed machine model considering MFS effect is verified by finite element analysis. Finally, a small-scale AIPM machine prototype is fabricated and measured to validate the finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear permanent magnet Vernier machines (LPMVMs) is an attractive solution for stroke and direct-drive applications. Several LPMVM topologies have been presented for different applications that operate based on magnetic flux modulation. LPMVMs have some advantages including high force, and torque density at low speeds. This paper introduces a double-excited linear Vernier machine for wave energy conversion. To model the machine, finite element analysis and nonlinear equivalent network model are used. To improve the accuracy of the model and compact the network, a new meshing method is proposed. For better continuity in the output waveforms of the machine, special positioning is utilized. The end-effect is modeled using two separate networks. Finally, the modeling and simulation results are compared with each other and validated experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design rules of winding configurations and stator-pole/rotor-tooth (SP/RT) number combinations of doubly-fed flux-switching permanent magnet (DF-FSPM) machines are investigated in this paper based on coil electromotive force (EMF) vectors. The relationships between the components of stator and rotor coil-EMF vector diagrams are unveiled at first, including the numbers of stator and rotor phases, and the numbers of stator and rotor spokes. Then, the SP/RT number combinations are derived considering feasible stator/rotor phase number combinations and different winding configurations. The SP/RT number combinations are optimized considering the winding factors, magnetic field harmonics, unbalanced magnetic forces and machine diameter. It is shown that both of the stator and rotor pitch factors increase when the SP and RT numbers get closer. Furthermore, the influence of winding configurations and SP/RT number combinations on electromagnetic performances of DF-FSPM machines are analyzed by finite-element method. Finally, the analysis results are validated by experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper formulates the difference in base frequency and maximum torque between distributed and concentrated windings taking into account the air-gap modulation of concentrated-winding permanent magnet (PM) motors. The design superiority is typically confirmed for each winding type during a development period by using time-consuming finite element analysis (FEA). We propose a quantification that enables motor designers to easily judge, at the initial design stage, a superior winding type and to shorten a design period. Throughout our formulation, we found that the distributed-winding PM motors, in principle, have larger q-axis inductance and smaller d-axis inductance than the concentrated-winding motors, which leads to a decrease in the base frequency. On the other hand, the distributed winding inherently has higher winding factor and needs shorter stack length of core than the concentrated winding for identical torque output, which results in an increase in the base frequency. And also, we theoretically quantified the difference in reluctance-torque contribution between the two winding types and found that it was too small to have much impact on practical design. We applied the proposed formulae to a 0.2-kW concentrated-winding Nd-Fe-B magnet motor and were able to quantify the base frequency, the maximum torque, and the minimum stack length of core for a distributed-winding motor with high accuracy without having to rely on FEA. The FEA and measurement results demonstrated the validity of the proposed approach for the fabricated distributed-winding PM motor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partial demagnetization is a condition that may occur in Permanent Magnet machines due to overloading or thermal stress. Whenthis happens, the magnetic field locally weakens leading to an asymmetry of the air-gap field. This asymmetry will cause harmonics, which will be expressed as extra losses and mechanical oscillations. Moreover, since the field becomes weaker, more current is required to serve the load leading to less efficiency, increased losses and consequently increase of the temperature, which will cause further progression of the demagnetization severity until a total machine breakdown. Several methods have been proposed in the literature for the online detection of the demagnetization, however they have not related the fault to the manufacturing characteristics of the machine, which play an important role on the expected harmonic index and the associated fault signatures. This paper presents for the first time a detailed analytical investigation of the expected harmonics in the stator current spectrum in case of demagnetization, as a function of the stator winding and number of poles. The analytical results are verified by extensive simulations via the finite element method and experimental testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel asymmetric interior permanent magnet (AIPM) machine is proposed in this paper for electric vehicle application. It has a skewed V-shape permanent magnet (PM) cavity, two PMs with different dimensions and an additional flux barrier outside the V-shape cavity in each pole. This asymmetric rotor topology can inherently utilize the magnetic-field-shifting (MFS) effect to reduce the current angle difference between the maximum PM and reluctance torque components, thereby enhancing the maximum synthetic torque with the same PM usage. The influences of cavity positions in the proposed AIPM and an existing AIPM with extra flux barrier inside the V-shape cavity are investigated and compared using finite element analysis. It is found that the proposed structure with outside flux barrier has higher average torque than the one with inside flux barrier. Both AIPM topologies are designed with the same stator, rotor diameter, and PM usage as the conventional V-shape IPM benchmark for Prius 2010. Electromagnetic, mechanical and steady-state thermal performance of three machines are compared. The results confirm that the proposed AIPM machine can achieve significant torque enhancement due to utilizing MFS effect, compared with the existing AIPM and the IPM benchmark. Finally, a small prototype of the proposed AIPM machine is designed, manufactured and tested to validate the FE analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes and analyzes a novel radial partitioned stator HTS-excitation flux-switching (RPS-HTSFS) machine. The key is that the single ring-shaped HTS-excitation coil is independently placed in the coaxial claw-pole outer stator while the armature windings are wound around the U-shaped iron core on the inner flux-switching armature stator without permanent magnets. This solution has been explored to realize the physical isolation of armature winding and excitation winding, relieving the influence of armature field on the HTS-excitation coil. Moreover, only a single ring-shaped HTS-excitation coil is employed, therefore, reducing the HTS wires and the bending strain of the HTS-excitation coil. Also, the special refrigeration system can realize stationary seals of the double-layer ring-shaped cooling Dewar pattern, improving the cooling performance. By using the three-dimensional finite element analysis (3D-FEA), the machine performances are investigated and the validity of the proposed machine is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-Sided Linear Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet (DSLFSPM) motor has the merits of high efficiency, high power factor and low-cost stator structure. But the speed range of DSLFSPM is limited due to its adoption of permanent magnets. Double-Sided High Temperature Superconducting Linear Flux-Switching Motor (DSHTS-LFSM) adopts HTS coils to replace the permanent magnets, thus obtaining better power density and wider speed range. However, when the magnetic field gets much stronger, the iron core is easily saturated and flux leakage gets serious, which threatens the reliability of HTS coils and lowers the utilization of iron core. To solve this problem, a novel Double-Sided High Temperature Superconducting Linear Modular Flux-Switching Motor (DSHTS-LMFSM) is proposed. The armature windings are designed different from existing DSHTS-LFSMs to reduce flux leakage. Furthermore, by sealing the HTS coils together in a Dewar away from armature windings, the reliability is improved. In this paper, the structure and working principle of the proposed DSHTS-LMFSM is explained. The electromagnetic performance of it is calculated using Finite Element Method (FEM). As evaluation, its performance is compared against a traditional DSHTS-LFSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transverse flux permanent-magnet (PM) linear machine has attracted much attention in high-performance direct-drive applications because of its high torque density and efficiency. However, due to its inherent large open-circuit flux leakage, the prominent cogging force makes it difficult to obtain a high accuracy in position and speed control, which restricts its potential for precision industrial processing applications. To overcome this problem, a novel transverse flux linear machine is proposed in this paper. The key is by creatively combining a consequent-pole mover design and a stator-segment-interlacing configuration in such a way that a parallel and complementary transverse magnetic circuit is realized for the moving PMs, which can effectively minimize the open-circuit leakage flux and cogging effect. In this paper, the machine structure, operation principle, and theoretical modeling are introduced, with its electromagnetic performance evaluated by using the finite-element method. A prototype is also built for the experimental verification, and relevant test results agree well with the finite-element predications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the analysis and design of a triple-rotor axial-flux spoke-array vernier permanent magnet (TR-AFSAVPM) machine. By cooperating with spoke-array rotor and coil-wounded winding, power factor and torque density of the proposed machine are much improved and its copper utilization is reduced comparing with conventional vernier machines. First, the machine structure and its operation principles are reviewed. After that, analytical equations of its back-electromotive force and torque are derived to reveal the machine characteristics. Based on both quasi-3-D finite element analysis (FEA) and 3-D FEA, its high torque density performance is verified and a set of optimized machine sizing specifications is ultimately settled. A fractional slot axial-flux permanent magnet (VPM) machine and an axial-flux surface VPM machine are designed to compare with the proposed configuration. Analysis results show that the TR-AFSAVPM machine has high power factor viz., 0.96 and high torque density viz., 24.2 kNm/m3. A prototype has been designed and tested to validate the results. No-load test result is illustrated in this paper and the rated load experiment will be added in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of a surface permanent-magnet Vernier motor (SPMVM) according to the pole ratio among the rotor magnet pole pairs, stator teeth, and winding pole number. The SPMVM has the same operational principle as a magnetic gear, and it is operated using the space harmonics of the air-gap flux density due to the magnetomotive force and air-gap permeance. In this paper, first, the design parameters of the SPMVM are specified based on an analytical calculation of the air-gap magnetic flux density. Moreover, various combinations of the rotor magnet pole pairs and stator teeth number are made and compared according to the operational principle of a Vernier motor using a 2-D finite-element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a design technique for electric ship traction machines to achieve high torque density and low torque ripple by adopting dual m-phase windings with an appropriate phase shift. Firstly, the general relationship between the slot number and the phase number for dual m-phase windings is investigated. Secondly, the uniform analytical expressions of torque with different phase shifts are derived. Also, the optimal phase shift angle is summarized from the perspective of improving torque performance. Then, the 48-slot and 22-pole permanent-magnet machines for electric ship with different windings configurations are designed. The finite-element method is used to calculate their electromagnetic performances, such as back electromotive force, torque capability, stator magnetic motive force and radial force. Finally, some experiments on the prototype machine for electric ship are carried out for validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to a group of permanent magnets (PMs) with the same magnetization direction are replaced by salient iron core, the consequent-pole (CP) PM machines generally suffer from asymmetry flux density. This will leads to the even-order back-EMF harmonics, which have negative influence on the electromagnetic performance. It is widely known that the even-order back-EMF harmonics cannot be eliminated for the machines with odd back-EMF phasor belongs to one phase in one machine periodicity, i.e., ${\boldsymbol{N}_0}$ is odd (${\boldsymbol{N}_0} = {\boldsymbol{N}_{\boldsymbol S}}/\boldsymbol{mt}$ , where ${\boldsymbol{N}_{\boldsymbol S}}$ is the number of slot for one machine, t is the unit sub-machine periodicity, m is the number of phase). Hence, this paper proposes a general modularization method solving this problem. The elimination principle of even-order back-EMF harmonics in the modular stator (MS) is explained by the star of slots. Further, the MS with auxiliary winding (AW) and auxiliary teeth (AT) are proposed to improve the electromagnetic performance of the MS CP (MSCP) PM machine. Then, the electromagnetic characteristics, including open circuit field distribution and back-EMFs, torque characteristics, unbalanced magnetic force (UMF), loss distribution characteristics as well as efficiency contours are comprehensively compared. Finally, the MSCP PM machine with auxiliary winding (MSCP-AW) is fabricated and tested to verify the theoretical analysis as well as the finite element (FE) results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to reduce the torque pulsation of the three-phase fractional-slot concentrated-winding (FSCW) interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor by lowering sub-harmonics. The key principle of this method is the selection of an optimized six-layer winding with different numbers of conductors. Firstly, the interaction of stator-rotor magnetomotive force (MMF) which contributes to the torque pulsation is analyzed. Additionally, the relationship between sub-harmonics (1st sub-harmonic and 2nd sub-harmonic) and torque pulsation orders is revealed. Then, different numbers of conductors are adopted in coils to eliminate the 2nd sub-harmonic. Nevertheless, the 1st sub-harmonic increases in the two-layer and four-layer windings. Therefore, the optimized six-layer winding is employed to suppress the 1st sub-harmonic and ensure that the 2nd sub-harmonic is zero. Besides, there are almost no other harmonics except the main harmonic and slot harmonics in the proposed IPM motor. Hence, the torque pulsation can be greatly reduced even under different current angles. Furthermore, the principle for torque pulsation reduction by lowering sub-harmonics is revealed. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the comparisons with finite element analysis and experimental test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the comparative analysis of modular spoke-type permanent magnet machines with two magnetization modes, which are referred to as M-I and M-II types. The analytical models of the proposed machines are built based on the simple magneto-motive-force-permeance method. With the help of finite element analysis and the analytical models, magnetic fields in machines with different magnetization modes are compared. Then, taking as a base an existing commercial in-wheel machine used in an electric motorcycle, two proposed machines with different magnetization modes are designed as in-wheel traction machines and compared with respect to electromagnetic torque, flux-weakening performance, over-load capability, etc. The machines are prototyped and experimentally tested to verify the prediction that the M-II machines exhibit a higher torque output whereas the M-I machines have a wider speed range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to identify the optimal number of flux modulation pole (FMP) in Vernier permanent magnet synchronous machines (VPMSMs) with concentrated tooth-coil windings. First, the influence of number of FMP on machine performance is revealed based on the unified permanent magnet magnetomotive force permeance analytical model. It is found that for a fixed stator slot number, there always exists an optimal number of FMP to maximize the torque, thanks to the enhanced contribution by the fundamental permeance harmonic. Then, the influence of critical dimensional parameters, including the machine diameter, the permanent magnet thickness, and the width of FMP, on the electromagnetic performance of VPMSMs with different numbers of FMP are parametrically analyzed by both analytical and finite element analyses. Results show that the VPMSMs with the optimal number of FMP always have advantages of a higher torque density together with a reduced PM volume, particularly for those with a relatively large diameter. Finally, two VPMSM prototypes with different numbers of FMP are manufactured and tested to validate the analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs an overhang structure for axial flux permanent magnet motor to enhance the torque density. However, the overhang structure requires a computationally expensive 3-D finite-element method (FEM) for analysis, because a quasi-3-D FEM cannot be applied to such a geometry. Thus, in order to reduce the computational cost of above-mentioned topology, this paper adopts a field reconstruction method (FRM). The conventional FRM is applicable only in the case, where the slot pitch to teeth length ratio is the same along radial direction. To address this problem, we introduce a virtual air gap concept so that it can take into account parallel slot effect as well as overhang effect. In this paper, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by the 3-D FEM and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents performance improvements of a double excitation synchronous motor by using a reluctance network (RN). The distinguishing feature of the double excitation principle is to use permanent magnets with high energy, while air-gap flux is flexibly controlled by field windings. Therefore, the first contribution of this paper focuses on maximizing air-gap flux range control. Second, an approach for torque ripple reduction is proposed by directly modifying air-gap flux according to the instantaneous torque profile. The achieved resultant torque stays almost constant for a case study. The validity of the RN method is examined by comparisons with 3-D finite element and experimental results for several machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses a simple and computationally efficient dynamic model for brushless permanent magnet (PM) motors under PM demagnetization faults. The impact of stator slots and spatial disposition of the windings are taken into account to improve the accuracy of a lumped-parameter $abc$ model. This model is suitable for tracking the dynamic behavior of fault components, as it can be accompanied by any control scheme and/or be used for model-based fault detection schemes. In addition, parameters of this model can be automatically tuned by an optimization process in the offline phase of the healthy machine. Finite-element simulations are carried out for proving the effectiveness of the proposed model. Verification is done in both time and frequency domains for four PM motors with different rotor and stator configurations. The simulation results are experimentally verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel modular stator hybrid-excited synchronous machine with stator slot permanent magnets (PMs). By regulating the field current, the magnetic field, and consequently the back electromotive force, as well as the average torque can be controlled. The existence of stator slot PMs alleviates the magnetic saturation and improves the flux regulation ratio. The frozen permeability method is employed to investigate the torque contributions by different magnetic sources. Possible stator and rotor pole combinations are illustrated, and the corresponding electromagnetic performances are evaluated with the finite-element method. It is revealed that 12-stator pole machines with 11- and 13-rotor poles exhibit superior average torque and lower torque ripple due to even-order harmonics elimination. Finally, a prototype with modular stator segments is manufactured to validate the analyses and simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, on the basis of a conventional 12-stator-coils/17-rotor-teeth (12/17) flux-switching permanent magnet (PM) (FSPM) machine and a 6/17 V-shaped FSPM machine, a novel 6/17 multi-tooth FSPM machine with a pair of magnets located in the upper apex of stator tooth is proposed. Then, four multi-tooth topologies sharing the same 6-stator-coils but with different rotor teeth combinations, namely, 6/17, 6/10, 6/11, and 6/13, are compared by the 2-D finite element analysis (2-D-FEA). The FEA-predicted results reveal the optimal combinations of stator coils and rotor teeth should be 6/17 for high-performance multi-tooth machines. Thereafter, an optimal design criterion of multi-tooth FSPM machines for the combinations of stator coils and rotor teeth is proposed. Afterward, electromagnetic performance evaluation between the 6/17 V-shaped and 6/17 multi-tooth machines is conducted, in terms of back electromotive force (back EMF), electromagnetic torque, cogging torque, phase inductance, unbalanced magnetic force (UMF), torque/magnet ratio, and efficiency. The comparative results indicate that the proposed 6/17 multi-tooth machine is superior to the V-shaped one, since it exhibits much higher torque/magnet ratio, larger torque, lower inductance, and much lower UMF, though the cogging torque and total harmonic distribution of phase back EMF are unfavorably larger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new permanent magnet (PM) linear motor is proposed. This motor has a special structure with complementary stator flux, which helps to reduce the flux leakage and improve the utilization of the PM. The PMs are installed in a leaning manner, which increases the effective area of the PMs and enhances the field excitation. Hence, the force density of the motor can be improved and it will be, especially suitable for applications within a limited space. The motor structure and working principle are first explained. The design of the motor is then comprehensively investigated. An electromagnetic optimization method based on tabu search algorithm and finite-element method is proposed for the motor to improve its force density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel consequent-pole permanent magnet (PM) (CPM) machine featuring N-S-iron sequences. In order to enhance the output torque and efficiency, the flux barriers are employed to improve the magnetic symmetry and reduce the saturation of the stator yoke. The tangential magnetized PMs are embedded in the flux barriers to form the hybrid-pole PM (HPM) machine, which further improves the output torque and efficiency. The rotor of the proposed CPM and HPM machines, as well as its conventional counterpart which employing N-iron sequences, are optimized by finite element analysis. Furthermore, the electromagnetic performances of the proposed machines, including the open-circuit airgap flux density, back EMF, average torque, torque ripple, efficiency, flux-weakening capability, unbalanced magnetic force, and unipolar leakage flux, are compared with the conventional CPM machine. It is demonstrated that the proposed HPM machine can obtain almost equivalent torque, efficiency, and better flux-weakening capability when compared to the conventional one. Moreover, the proposed HPM machine has no unipolar leakage flux in the end region, and thus the magnetization of the mechanical components can be effectively reduced. Finally, a 9-slot/8-pole HPM machine is prototyped and measured to validate the analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to comprehensively analyze the influence of number of permanent magnet (PM) pieces on electromagnetic performance of flux reversal permanent magnet (FRPM) machines. First, the unified analytical model of FRPM machines having different numbers of PM pieces is established, from which the optimal number of PM pieces and the corresponding rotor pole number can be identified. It shows that by employing the optimal number of PM pieces instead of the conventional two on each stator tooth, additional back-EMF component can be generated which is beneficial to boost the machine performance. Then, the influence of critical design parameters including stator slot opening ratio, split ratio, and stator slot number is investigated, providing a guidance to the design of FRPM machines aiming at maximum output torque. In addition, both finite element analyses and experimental tests are conducted to verify the analytical analyses. For 6-slot-stator FRPM machines, experimental results show that more than 40% higher output torque can be achieved in the machine with optimal number of PM pieces when compared to the conventional one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous studies, the field winding of the brushless pulsed alternator (BPA) is embedded in the stator slots, which is supplied by dc power or variable frequency power. The advantage is that the field current can be independently adjusted. It means that the BPA system needs a standalone excitation system, which will increase the volume and cost of the system. If we substitute electric excitation for permanent magnet excitation, not only the volume and cost of the BPA system can be decreased but the efficiency and flexibility can be enhanced. In this paper, the design schemes for electric excitation and permanent magnet excitation BPA are presented. For comparison, the stator and rotor dimensions of the two kinds of BPA are both the same. The characteristics of electric excitation and permanent magnet excitation BPA are analyzed by the finite-element method and field-circuit coupling method. Finally, the BPA systems with a resistive load are established, the performances of both the two excitation modes are compared. According to the simulation results, we conclude their advantages and disadvantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, comparisons between two permanent-magnet-free machines, namely a wound-field flux-switching machine (WFFSM) and a switched reluctance machine (SRM), are carried out. The topologies and operation principles of the WFFSM are illustrated first. Then, the effects of rotor skewing angle on static characteristics, e.g., open-circuit phase flux-linkage and back electromotive force due to field currents, electromagnetic torque, and torque ripple, have been investigated in depth by finite-element analysis (FEA). Consequently, the optimal rotor skewing angle is determined. After that, comparisons at the rated speed 1500 r/min and at the rated RMS current density of 5 A/mm2 among the 6-armature-slots/5-rotor-poles (6/5) straight- and skewed-WFFSMs, and two representative SRMs, namely conventional 12/8 SRM and the short-flux 12/10 SRM with the same stator outer diameter and stack length are conducted in terms of phase flux-linkage, inductance, and torque performance. The results indicate that for these two PM-free machines, at the rated speed and the rated RMS current density, the skewed-rotor WFFSM exhibits considerably larger torque capacity, much smaller torque ripple, stronger saturation withstand ability. In addition, the experiments of the skewed-WFFSM and the 12/8 SRM prototypes working at the mechanical character curve are conducted. The experimental results present that the power factor of the WFFSM is much higher and the efficiency is slightly lower than that of the 12/8 SRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid permanent-magnet (PM) variable-flux memory (VFM) machines employ both high coercive force PM, i.e., the constant PM (CPM), and low coercive force PM, i.e., the variable PM (VPM). The high energy-product CPM guarantees the benefits of high torque density of the conventional PM machines, while the PM magnetization state of the VPM is flexibly regulated to match various operation requirements. In fact, the two kinds of PMs can be magnetically connected in either parallel or series, with which the machine characteristics are quite different. In this paper, based on the two-dimensional and three-dimensional finite-element analyses, a pair of VFM machines with parallel and series connections, respectively, are investigated with specific reference to identify their difference in end effects. The comparison results show that the series hybrid PM VFM machine suffers more serious end leakage flux. The prototype machines are manufactured and tested to validate the analyses and predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of three-phase stator hybrid excited machine with permanent magnets (PMs) located at the slot openings of field winding slots is presented in this paper. It has the advantage of good flux regulation capability due to the field excitation. The machines with different stator/rotor pole combinations, i.e., 6-stator pole and 7-/8-/10-/11-/13-/14-rotor poles, have been comparatively investigated in terms of the open-circuit and on-load characteristics, as well as the influence of dc current and the unbalanced magnetic forces. The 2-D finite element analysis (FEA) has been employed for analysis and optimization of the machines together with experimental validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permanent-magnet vernier machine has an excellent potential for electric vehicles due to its desirable features of a simple mechanical structure and high torque density, whereas the poor power factor is its main drawback. In this paper, a spoke-type permanent-magnet vernier machine is designed and optimized for torque density and power factor improvement. First, the machine structure, operation principle, and sizing equation are introduced. Then, the machine is optimized by a multi-objective genetic algorithm. To enhance the optimization efficiency and accuracy, multi-level, sensitivity analysis, and approximate model technologies are employed in the optimization. It is shown that the improved torque density and power factor are achieved in the optimized machine as compared to the initial one. Finally, a prototype machine is built, and the experiments on the prototype machine are carried out to verify the design optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with rotary electrical machines in linear drive applications, linear machines without rotary–linear motion conversion equipment can have higher force density and efficiency. Linear superconductivity machines (LSMs), consisting of high-performance superconducting magnets instead of permanent magnets, can offer very high force density and efficiency compared with other linear machines, such as linear induction machine, linear permanent magnet machine, and so on. In this paper, LSMs with different stators and winding configurations are investigated, specifically LSMs with concentrated or distributed windings, and unilateral or bilateral side stators. The electromagnetic parameters and performance of these LSMs are calculated and compared by using the finite element method, and then, the main difference between various design methods in LSM has been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fractional-slot concentrated-winding (FSCW) permanent magnet (PM) machines have been widely studied in recent years. This is mainly due to the several advantages, including high power density, high efficiency, short end turns, high fill factor, low cogging torque, good flux-weakening and fault-tolerant performance. However, the key challenges of utilizing FSCW-PM machines are the abundant stator magnetomotive force (MMF) harmonics. In this paper, the multiphase star–delta hybrid connection (SDHC) windings configuration that can eliminate some stator MMF harmonics is systematically studied. First, the general relationship between the number of slots and phases which are appropriate for the SDHC windings configuration is derived. In addition, the particular principle of the MMF harmonics elimination by the SDHC windings configuration is researched. In order to verify the analysis results, four three-phase SDHC FSCW-PM machines with different slot–pole combinations are built and calculated by the finite-element method. Finally, experiments on a prototype three-phase 12-slot ten-pole FSCW-PM machine are carried out for validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motors are suitable options for solar-powered vehicles due to their compact structure and high torque density. Furthermore, certain types of AFPM machines may be configured without stator cores, which eliminates associated losses and cogging torque and simplifies the manufacturing and assembly. This paper examines two machine designs for use in the solar-powered vehicle of the challenger class—a single rotor, single stator conventional AFPM machine, and a coreless AFPM machine with multiple stator and rotor disks. The response surface methodology (RSM) is utilized for the systematic comparison of the conventional and coreless topologies and to select the optimum designs among several hundreds of candidates. Designs with minimum losses and mass producing required torque with larger air-gap are favored. The performance of the selected designs has been studied via three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA). The FEA parametric modeling methodology is validated by measurements on three AFPM machines of the conventional and coreless type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the electromagnetic performance and operating characteristics of magnetic-geared permanent-magnet machines (MGPMMs) are evaluated using the subdomain analytical method. We derive the governing equations for each region based on the electromagnetic theory and some assumptions. The undetermined coefficients of the governing equations are calculated using boundary conditions. Based on the analytical solutions, the electromagnetic performance is analyzed. The proposed analytical method is validated through the nonlinear finite-element method and an experiment. In particular, an analysis of the performance analysis of the slot combination, which is one of the design variables, suggests the increased power factor and operating range. The analytical method can be useful for the initial and optimal designs of MGPMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel consequent-pole hybrid brushless wound-rotor synchronous machine (CPH-BL-WRSM). The proposed machine employs permanent magnets (PMs) on the alternate poles of the salient pole rotor, which has considerably less magnet usage compared to the regular (PM) assisted synchronous machine. The proposed CPH-BL-WRSM offered the advantages of high starting torque, high torque density, and better performance under full-load conditions. The BL operation for the proposed machine is achieved by generating a composite magneto motive force (MMF) with a fundamental component and sub-harmonic component. The sub-harmonic component of the stator MMF is used for BL excitation of the rotor. The finite-element method was used to analyze the performance of the CPH-BL-WRSM in comparison with the performance of the existing BL-WRSM and regular PM-assisted BL-WRSM. Finally, a prototype of the CPH-BL-WRSM was manufactured and the experiment was conducted to demonstrate the performance of the proposed CPH-BL-WRSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of speed harmonic for accurate and fast maximum-torque-per-ampere (MTPA) control of interior permanent magnet synchronous machines (IPMSMs). A novel MTPA angle calculation approach is proposed, in which the MTPA angle is directly calculated from the phase angle of the speed harmonic that is induced by an injected harmonic current. At first, the relation between the speed harmonic and machine parameters is derived from the IPMSM model, which shows that the phase angle of the induced speed harmonic can be utilized to cancel the machine parameters in existing MTPA equation. Thus, a new MTPA equation is derived, which does not involve machine parameters for MTPA angle calculation. Compared with existing methods, the proposed approach is independent from the machine and drive nonlinearities. Moreover, the MTPA angle is directly calculated from the derived MTPA equation, so the proposed approach is fast and computationally efficient. Thus, the proposed approach is suitable for both on-line applications and building off-line lookup tables of MTPA angles for IPMSMs. The proposed approach is experimentally evaluated on a laboratory IPMSM drive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about the mechanical design and analysis of a yokeless and segmented armature axial flux permanent-magnet (PM) synchronous machine, which consists of two external rotors and an inner stator. Although this new electrical machine has many advantages such as high torque density, shorter axial length, and high efficiency, its mechanical construction is yet challenging. This is mostly due to the high axial force between the stator and the two rotors, which can be further increased by the inevitable manufacturing and assembly tolerances. Based on the determined geometric dimensions of the electromagnetically relevant components, a reliable mechanical construction is developed in this paper. Subsequently, stress, deformation, thermal, and modal analyses are performed based on finite-element method (FEM). Finally, the first prototype is successfully manufactured and measured. It can be concluded that the proposed construction is reliable and the measured data match well with the results of the electromagnetic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-speed flux-modulated permanent-magnet (PM) machines do not need to conform to the conventional design rule which requires identical number of pole-pairs in both stator and rotor. In flux-modulated machines, special ferromagnetic segments in the airgap are used to modulate the magnetic field. In this paper, a general rule to compare different types of electric machines as well as measures to improve the torque density in these machines are presented. In this paper, the energy conversion capacity of different machines with the same physical size and the same operating temperature-rise are compared. An adaptive-order method for modeling the load—temperature-rise relationship is presented to reduce the computing time for this inverse problem. Three power-electronic-driven PM electric machines, which are, namely, a traditional PM machine, a radial-flux-modulated machine (RFMM), and an axial-flux-modulated machine (AFMM), are analyzed and compared based on their temperature distribution and electromagnetic torque density using magnetic field and thermal field computation. Experimental results of an AFMM prototype are used to validate the temperature-rise which is computed using 3-D finite-element method (3-D FEM). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Incipient stator winding fault in permanent magnet synchronous wind generators (PMSWGs) is very difficult to be detected as the fault generated variations in terminal electrical parameters are very weak and chaotic. This paper simulates the incipient stator winding faults at different degree of insulation degradation of one turn in the winding of a PMSWG. Cosimulation method by combining finite element model and external circuits is used. Hilbert–Huang transformation is applied to detect the very early stage fault in interturn insulation by analyzing the stator current. Detection results show that the minimum detectable severity degree of interturn fault in this paper is 0.1488%, which is much better than the best record in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flux-weakening capability of permanent-magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) is fundamentally determined by d- and q -axis inductances. Based on axial flux permanent-magnet machines (AFPMs), this paper extracts the intrinsic factors that influence the d- and q-axis inductances of PMSMs, meanwhile revealing the fact that the d- and q-axis inductances of fractional slot concentrated winding machines are not inevitably larger than that of distributed ones. The proportion of each of the d- and q-axis component inductances for multigap AFPMs is first studied. By analyzing armature inductance in conjunction with differential leakage inductance, this paper introduces a novel parameter to decouple the influence of slot-pole combinations and physical dimensions so that the “inductance ability” of different slot-pole combinations can be quantified. An improved method of calculating the slot leakage inductance of semiclosed slots is then put forward, which proves to be more accurate than the conventional method. The investigations and conclusion in this paper are not restricted to AFPMs but applicable to radial flux permanent-magnet machines as well. Validations of various slot-pole combinations are carried out with finite-element analysis and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, novel dual-stator switched-flux hybrid magnet machines (DS-SF-HMMMs) are proposed. Two sets of armature winding are employed so as to improve the space utilization and torque density. Meanwhile, two kinds of permanent magnets (PMs), i.e., neodymium–iron–boron and low-coercive-force magnets, are placed on either a common stator or separate stators. The proposed machines can provide the merits of high torque density in DS machines, and excellent flux adjusting capability in memory machines. The topologies and operating principle of the DS-SF-HMMMs having different PM arrangements are introduced and highlighted, respectively. In order to overcome the drawbacks of the original “U”-shaped PM type, two alternate designs are presented to increase the copper area in the inner stator and facilitate the manufacturability. In addition, the equivalent magnetic circuits for various machine models are formulated to reveal the field regulation principle. Then, the electromagnetic characteristics of various available DS-SF-HMMMs are evaluated and compared by the finite-element (FE) method. The stator/rotor pole combinations of the selected machine are analytically optimized in order to maximize the torque density. Finally, two prototypes are manufactured and tested to verify the FE analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel hybrid excitation flux reversal machine (HEFRM) is developed for application in electric vehicle propulsion. The proposed machine has a simple reluctance rotor and a stator with conventional ac armature windings and concentrated dc field windings. Besides, there are also permanent magnets (PMs) on the stator teeth. The PMs on each tooth have the same polarity, and the PMs on the adjacent two teeth have different polarities. In this paper, the feasible slot–pole combinations and equivalent circuits of the HEFRM are introduced, and the influences of several key design parameters such as rotor slot number, ratio of field winding to total winding, ferromagnetic pole arc, stator slot opening ratio, and rotor slot opening ratio on torque density and power factor are investigated by finite-element algorithm. Moreover, to verity the advantages of the hybrid excitation, the torque–speed envelop and power factor–speed envelop of the proposed HEFRM are compared to that of its solely PM excited counterpart. Finally, an HEFRM prototype is built and tested to validate the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a hybrid-excited vernier permanent magnet (PM) machine is proposed. Two excitation sources, namely, the PM excitation and the electrical excitation are artfully combined together based on the homopolar topology, resulting in a parallel hybrid excitation. The flux regulation capability of the proposed machine is discussed and analyzed. Unlike other hybrid-excited machines, the flux regulation is realized based on the variation of the armature flux linkage rather than directly adjusting the air-gap flux. Performances of the bi-directional flux regulation are evaluated by the 3-D finite-element method. In order to verify the analytical results, the proposed machine is prototyped and tested as a generator. Both no-load and on-load performances are assessed. The experimental results agree well with the analytical ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe leakage flux is a long-existed drawback in the transverse-flux permanent magnet machines (TFPMs), which results in a low permanent magnet (PM) utilization rate and prominent cogging torque in TFPMs. Aiming to solve this problem, this paper presents a novel consequent-pole transverse-flux machine (CP-TFM). The key is to artificially shift the upper and lower salient-pole rotors with a half-pole pitch and connect them with a ring-shaped core. Therefore, a complementary magnetic circuit is constructed to reduce the flux leakage between the adjacent poles as well as improve the PM utilization rate. To verify the feasibility of design, a 3-D finite-element model is established and its electromagnetic performance is evaluated. With the same peripheral dimension and copper loss, a quantitative comparison is carried out between the proposed CP-TFM and conventional TFPM. Finite-element simulation results reveal that compared to its contrast, the proposed solution can almost double the PM utilization ratio and effectively reduce the cogging torque. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three partitioned-stator (PS) machines, namely the PS flux-switching permanent-magnet (PS-FSPM) machine, the PS-FS hybrid-excitation machine, and the flux adjuster PS-FSPM (FA-PS-FSPM) machine are proposed for the hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Owing to the installation of additional inner-stators, all three proposed machines can offer satisfactory power and torque densities. In particular, the FA-PS-FSPM machine artfully utilizes its inner space to accommodate the mechanical FAs, such that outstanding flux-weakening capability for wide-speed range operation can be achieved. To verify the proposed concept, the established machines are purposely compared with the profound Prius HEV machine based on finite-element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear magnetic-field modulated (LMFM) motor exhibits high thrust force by effectively employing the magnetic-field modulation effect. In this paper, a new mover separated LMFM (MS-LMFM) motor is proposed, which successfully alleviates the space confliction between permanent magnets (PMs) and windings in the existing LMFM motor. The structure and the operation principle of the existing and proposed motor are described, and the major design parameters are optimized for maximum thrust force. Moreover, electromagnetic performances of both motors are compared by finite-element method. Theoretical and simulation analysis shows that the proposed motor can exhibit enhanced force performance than the existing one under fixed copper loss. Simultaneously, reduced iron and PM losses can also be obtained by proposed motor. Finally, a 3-D modeling MS-LMFM motor is built for a global observation of motor structure and further verification of the 2-D analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a new stator-flux perspective, a comparative study between the series and parallel hybrid excitation machine (PHEM) is conducted and it is revealed that in PHEMs there still exist distinct stator-flux harmonic components during high-speed flux weakening operation, which could be further utilized to improve the torque capability at high-speed range. Inspired by this idea, an auxiliary winding is creatively introduced into PHEMs to recycle and utilize the magnetic field energy generated during the field regulation. A new design case is presented in this paper, in which two sets of armature windings with different pole pair numbers are arranged to realize the function of flux weakening operation and energy recycling, respectively. The feasibility of this new hybrid solution is evaluated by using the finite-element analysis. Furthermore, a prototype is manufactured and relevant experiments are performed. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical analysis and simulation results, which verify that the recycled energy can be effectively used to boost the output torque and power of PHEMs in the high-speed region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel variable flux memory (VFM) machine, in which the “constant” permanent magnet (CPM) with high coercive force and the “variable” PM (VPM) with low coercive force are alternatively located in the interior-PM rotor. Thus, the VPMs and CPMs are magnetically connected in series, with which the CPMs can assist the VPMs to withstand the unintentional demagnetization caused by armature reaction. Therefore, a high armature current can be applied to the machine. Meanwhile, the reluctance torque is retrieved. Thus, a high torque density can be obtained. Based on two-dimensional finite element analysis, first, the electromagnetic performance of the proposed VFM machine in two extreme magnetization states is evaluated in detail. Then, the demagnetization and remagnetization characteristics are investigated, in which the working points of VPMs are illustrated. Furthermore, the advantages of improved efficiency of the proposed VFM machine are demonstrated. A prototype machine is manufactured and tested to validate the predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]