Air-gap flux density measurement system for verification of permanent magnet motor FEM model

To verify the FEM simulation of the air-gap flux density, it is necessary to measure the flux density distribution as function of the angular machine position. This paper presents a scalable 3-D direct air-gap flux density magnitude measurement system for rotating electrical machines. A combination of eight linear Hall effect flux sensors and a rotary encoder is used to measure the flux density magnitude as function of the angular machine position. The system is designed for permanent magnet motors with an air gap of at least 1 mm, but can also be used for other types of machines. The miniaturized sensor array with the flux sensors is 0.7 mm thick, and measures the distribution of the air-gap flux density magnitude in a range of ±2 T along the rotor axis. The design of the measurement system is described and tested on a prototype of an electronically commutated permanent magnet DC motor. The obtained measurement results are compared with the FEM simulation results of the prototype motor. A good match between the simulated and measured flux density magnitude is shown. The conclusions presented in this study, are used to further optimize the simulation model and the prototype motor.