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SUMMARY This paper presents a novel type of flux-modulating synchronous machine (FMSM) in which permanent magnets (PMs) are embedded in the stator back-iron. The rotor has neither windings nor PMs. A prototype machine with an outer-rotor configuration was designed and manufactured to validate the operating principle of the FMSM. The characteristics in the motor mode of the prototype machine were also investigated with a vector control system. The results of the investigations show that, as in surface-mounted PM motors, the torque of the FMSM is predominantly generated by the PM flux and can be controlled using the armature current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The output of permanent-magnet-assisted synchronous machines is maximized under constant permanent magnet (PM) volume and machine size by optimizing rotor shape. An automatic shape optimization method combining Rosenbrock's method and adaptive finite-element method is applied for the optimization. Then, a prototype machine is manufactured due to the result of the optimization in order to confirm the validity. It is clarified that the output of the optimized machine significantly increases without decrease in efficiency, increase in PM volume, and increase in machine size compared with that of the conventional machine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SUMMARY The flux-modulating synchronous machine (FMSM) is a new type of multipole SM with nonoverlapping concentrated armature and field windings on the stator. This paper compares the output characteristics of two FMSMs through finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments. In both of the FMSMs, the attachment positions of the armature and field windings are swapped. To determine the reason for the discrepancies in their output characteristics, unsaturated inductances were calculated using a d- -q equivalent circuit. In addition, the calculated results of the inductances were confirmed through a visualization of the leakage fluxes using FEA. The results of the study show that the synchronous inductance can be reduced by attaching the armature winding to the air-gap side of the stator teeth and that the reduction leads to an increase in output power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve output performance of salient-pole synchronous machines, permanent-magnet-assisted salient-pole synchronous machines (PMa-SMs) that have permanent magnets (PMs) between the field poles were previously developed. The PM effect of increasing the output power and the terminal voltage has already been confirmed by finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments under steady states. In this paper, demagnetization in the PMs due to sudden three-phase short circuits is evaluated by FEA. The results show that irreversible demagnetization arises in the PMs of a PMa-SM with relatively smaller circumferential PM length. Effects of the PM shape and damper bars on the irreversible demagnetization are also investigated. The results show that making the PM shape a rectangle and adding damper bars on the outer surfaces of the PMs are effective to reduce the demagnetization, while increasing the number of the conventional damper bars is not effective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of output increase by inserting additional permanent magnets in salient-pole synchronous machines. The machines are modeled not only by finite element methods but also by a simple nonlinear magnetic circuit in order to express the assist effects of permanent magnets by simple theoretical expressions. The no-load saturation curves obtained by the finite element method and the magnetic circuit are compared with those of measurements in order to confirm the validities. It is clarified that the accuracy of the proposed magnetic circuit is nearly identical to that of the finite element method. Furthermore, the mechanism of the output increase by the permanent magnets is revealed by the theoretical expressions derived from the magnetic circuit equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate magnetic saturation under subtransient and transient states of a large-sized salient-pole synchronous machine, the currents and leakage inductances after sudden three-phase short circuits are analyzed by a two-dimensional nonlinear transient finite element method (FEM). The currents are calculated both by direct and indirect methods. The direct method uses the FEM and considers fluctuation of the magnetic saturation after the short circuit. The indirect method solves Park's differential equations without fluctuation. Results of the direct method agree well with measurements. When the preshort voltage is large, fluctuation of the leakage inductances after the short is large and it greatly affects values of the short-circuit currents. As the preshort voltage becomes large, the damper leakage inductances saturate at first, then the field leakage inductances, and finally the armature leakage inductances saturate. Although the indirect method considers saturation under the preshort condition, it gives inaccurate results and they are nearly the same as the results by the linear FEM. In general, it is thought that saturation of the leakage flux should be considered when subtransient conditions with large disturbance are analyzed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(4): 46–55, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10240 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]