Electromagnetic performance analysis of the rim electromagnetic direct-driven propeller

Propellers are a crucial part to drive underwater vehicles. A rim electromagnetic direct-driven propeller (REDP) had been presented to meet some specific requirements of the underwater vehicle in this paper. It had many advantages compared to classical propellers and could improve the performance of the underwater vehicle. The composition and working mode of REDP were introduced here. In addition, the paper also introduced the working characteristics of REDP and somethings needed to be improved. The energy method was utilized to calculate the distribution of magnetic fields. A three-dimensional model of REDP was built. Then the influence of the propeller’s parameters on performance was analyzed, including the number, pattern, surface radian of the permanent magnet and the stator cogging skew, by finite element computing models. The performances of REDP were tested under several parameters. Some valuable conclusions were obtained according the test results and could provide a reference for the design and performance optimization of REDP utilized on the underwater vehicle.