Pulsating torque minimization techniques for permanent magnet AC motor drives - a review

Permanent magnet ac (PMAC) motor drives are finding expanded use in high-performance applications where torque smoothness is essential. This paper reviews a wide range of motor- and controller-based design techniques that have been described in the literature for minimizing the generation of cogging and ripple torques in both sinusoidal and trapezoidal PMAC motor drives. Sinusoidal PMAC drives generally show the greatest potential for pulsating torque minimization using well-known motor design techniques such as skewing and fractional slot pitch windings. In contrast, trapezoidal PMAC drives pose more difficult tradeoffs in both the motor and controller design which may require compromises in drive simplicity and cost to improve torque smoothness. Controller-based techniques for minimizing pulsating torque typically involve the use of active cancellation algorithms which depend on either accurate tuning or adaptive control schemes for effectiveness. In the end, successful suppression of pulsating torque ultimately relies on an orchestrated systems approach to all aspects of the PMAC machine and controller design which often requires a carefully selected combination of minimization techniques.