Evaluation and analysis of novel flux‐adjustable permanent magnet eddy current couplings with multiple rotors

Abstract

Abstract This article proposes a novel flux‐adjustable permanent magnet eddy current coupling with multiple rotors. According to the different functions, the permanent magnet rotors are divided into fixed‐flux and flux‐adjustable rotors. By adjusting the relative position between two types of permanent magnet rotors, the magnetic field, torque, and output speed are controlled without changing the air‐gap length. To quickly and easily analyse the torque performance, an analytical model for the torque of such devices is developed based on the non‐linear magnetic equivalent circuit approach. In the modelling phase, a number of factors are considered, such as the skin effect, the inductance of eddy current field, the temperature effect, and so on. A three‐dimensional finite element method is employed to validate the model results, and the comparative analysis shows the advantages and potential of the proposed topology. The further sensitivity analysis of the key parameters is also made, which offers helpful information for the preliminary design of such devices.