Advanced Optimization Design Techniques for Automotive Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines

The hard competition on the automotive electric actuation market has prompted engineers to look for advanced electromagnetic design techniques for electric machines. This paper presents therefore an overview offering at the same time solutions for several applications. An advanced optimization design method includes three different approaches: sizing, shaping, and structural (topological) optimization. The case studies consider interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSM) for automotive applications like steering, braking, and clutch/shift actuation systems. The following are presented: 1) sizing (dimensioning) based on experience in comparison with (multi-objective) optimization design, 2) synthesis of the sinusoidal back-emf shape by a coupled finite-element (FE)-grid-search method, and 3) two novel rotor topologies for minimal cogging torque and maximal pole flux simultaneously obtained by a coupled finite-element (FE)-genetic algorithms method