Analytical Modeling and Analysis of Axial-Flux Interior Permanent-Magnet Couplers

Analytical calculations are effective in preliminary design stages and analysis of electric machines. In this paper, for axial-flux interior permanent-magnet (PM) eddy-current couplers, an analytical model is developed, which is able to deal with the complex machine geometry and take into account material properties such as iron saturation and PM characteristics. The design considerations of the machine are also presented. Moreover, the studied structure shows several advantages in terms of mechanical and magnetic performances over the couplers with surface PMs. The three-dimensional (3-D) finite-element method is employed in the analyses and evaluations. Finally, an experimental prototype is built to validate the model.