Design and finite element analysis of a high‐performance surface‐permanent magnet synchronous reluctance machine with optimised robustness towards demagnetisation

The aim of this paper is to design and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of a novel rotor topology for a permanent magnet synchronous reluctance machine. According to the advantages and drawbacks of the PMSyncRM and the SPMSM, a conventional PMSyncRM rotor design combined with sur‐face‐mounted magnets is introduced as the SPMSyncRM. The surface‐PM arc size is investigated, so that it is considered as multiplication of an integer coefficient and the angle between two adjacent slots of the stator. The analysis involves simulation of the electromagnetic characteristics and the numerical model of each structure using finite element method. Each E‐Magnetic character is calculated for a better understanding of the benefits of the SPMSyncRM. Applying 2D FEA, the optimised surface‐PM arc size is calculated and the static and dynamic operational behaviour of the SPMSyncRM is simulated. Moreover, short circuit analysis is performed to study the demagnetisation of magnets. All results are reported comparatively considering a conventional PMSyncRM, so that the proposed SPM‐SyncRM topology presents high torque‐power density, lower values of cogging torque, higher values of power factor and efficiency, better static and dynamic performance, and robustness towards demagnetisation. The paper main contributions are: – A novel rotor topology for a permanent magnet synchronous reluctance machine (PMSyncRM); – A conventional PMSyncRM rotor design combined with sur‐face‐mounted magnets; – An optimisation process using 2D finite element analysis; – Robustness towards demagnetisation is comparatively studied.