This paper deals with the optimal design of a new synchronous motor particularly suitable for electric vehicles. The unique advantage of this motor is its possibility to realize field weakening at high speeds, which is the most important demand for such drives. The main design goal is to identify the dimensions of certain crucial regions of the machine in order to avoid saturation of the iron and to minimize the mass to volume ratio, while simultaneously maximizing the torque. The originality of the contribution is manifold: formulating the design problem in multiobjective terms, solving it by means of evolutionary computing, solving the associated direct problem based on a three-dimensional finite element analysis (3-D-FEA) field model, considering a reduced set of design variables by means of response surface method, referring to a real-life problem.

This paper proposes a topology optimization method, which allows to design a permanent magnet (PM) excited machine with improved high-speed features, incorporating the topological gradient into the multi-level set method with total variation regularization. It involves the design of both the stator and the rotor, the shape of which has a predominant impact on the mechanical and electric features of a PM machine. The concept of the topological gradient is incorporated for the nucleation of new holes in the distribution of level sets. The essential advantage of the proposed method is its ability to handle topology change on a fixed mesh and its flexibility in terms of shape changing that leads to efficient computational schemes. Finally, 2/3-D models are developed and deeply analyzed to indicate that the applied method leads to a significant reduction of both the cogging torque and the amount of higher back EMF harmonics.

The paper presents an unconventional approach to control the hybrid excited synchronous machine (HESM), which can be used for drives of pure electric vehicles. The hybrid excitation of the additional control coil placed on the rotor of the machine has been realized by the wireless energy transfer system connected with the rotor shaft. Experimental results of back-EMF characteristics obtained on a prototype of HESM were compared with 3-dimentional finite elements analysis (3D-FEA) predictions. This design, despite some additional complications in the power supply system of the machine, simplifies the mechanical construction and reduces the control coil’s losses compared to the construction with the coil placed on the stator.

The paper presents selected simulation and experimental results of a hybrid ECPMS-machine (Electric Controlled Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine). This permanent magnets (PMs) excited machine offers an extended magnetic field control capability which makes it suitable for battery electric vehicle (BEV) drives. Rotor, stator and the additional direct current control coil of the machine are analyzed in detail. The control system and strategy, the diagram of power supply system and an equivalent circuit model of the ECPMS-machine are presented. Influence of the additional excitation on the performance parameters of the machine, such as: torque, efficiency, speed limits and back-EMF have also been discussed

Purpose: – In this paper, a numerical approach to the topology optimization is proposed to design the permanent magnet excited machines with improved high-speed features. For this purpose the modified multi-level set method (MLSM) was proposed and applied to capture the shape of rotor poles on the fixed mesh using FE analysis. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach: – This framework is based on theories of topological and shape derivative for the magnetostatic system. During the iterative optimization process, the shape of rotor poles and its evolution is represented by the level sets of a continuous level set function f. The shape optimization of the iron and the magnet rotor poles is provided by the combining continuum design sensitivity analysis with level set method.Findings: – To obtain an innovative design of the rotor poles composed of different materials, the modified MLSM is proposed. An essential advantage of the proposed method is its ability to handle a topology change on a fixed mesh by the nucleating a small hole in design domain that leads to more efficient computational scheme then standard level set method.Research limitations/implications: – The proposed numerical approach to the topology design of the 3D model of a PM machine is based on the simplified 2D model under assumption that the eddy currents in both the magnet and iron parts are neglected.Originality/value: – The novel aspect of the proposed method is the incorporation of the Total Variation regularization in the MLSM, which distribution is additionally modified by the gradient derivative information, in order to stabilize the optimization process and penalize oscillations without smoothing edges.

In this paper, an U-shape flux barrier rotor concept for a hybrid excited synchronous machine with flux magnetic bridges fixed on the rotor is presented. Using 3D finite element analysis, the influence of axial flux bridges on the field-weakening and -strengthening characteristics, electromagnetic torque, no-load magnetic flux linkage, rotor iron losses and back electromotive force is shown. Three different rotor designs are analyzed. Furthermore, the field control characteristics depending on additional DC control coil currents are shown.