Magnetic Screen Effects on Torque Ripple and Efficiency of Dual Air-Gap Surface Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor

Abstract

Electric motors with a double air-gap structure offer increased power or torque density compared to their single air-gap counterparts, achievable through double-stator or double-rotor configurations. In a previous study, the authors proposed a double-stator permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with a magnetic screen placed in the middle of the rotor to isolate the outer and inner motors. However, the analysis of the magnetic screen was not provided in that study, as the design was arbitrarily chosen. This research focuses on the effects of the magnetic screen size and selects the appropriate dimensions for optimal motor performance. Finite element analysis (FEA) is employed to assess the electromagnetic characteristics of the screen. Subsequently, the motor is manufactured and tested. The results show that the chosen magnetic screen size contributes to significant efficiency improvements. In particular, the motor achieved an efficiency of 95.2% during the qualification test, surpassing the efficiency obtained in the previous study.

Keywords

• direct-drive applications
• dual air-gap SPMSM
• efficiency improvement
• magnetic screen
• permanent magnet synchronous motor
• torque ripple reduction