Modeling, Simulation, and Design of a Permanent-Magnet-Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Machine

We have designed a permanent-magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance machine (PMa-SynRM) for applications requiring robustness and cost-effectiveness. To keep costs low, we use ferrite magnets for magnetic excitation. To achieve an efficient torque behavior, we considered various design aspects in the development of the PMa-SynRM. Our PMa-SynRM features magnets placed in the stator only and not mounted on the rotor. This paper presents the modeling and simulation of the magnetic behavior and the geometric optimization of the PMa-SynRM. The rotor geometry was investigated in particular detail using 2- and 3-D finite-element simulations. We performed no-load and load measurements and applied system analysis to identify the torque characteristic.