Experimental study on efficiency enhancement in Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous machines

This paper presents an experimental study on the efficiency variation occurring in an IPMSM (Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) with respect to the direct axis current component and for several working conditions. Such investigation is the starting point for the arrangement of a speed control drive system equipped with a real-time power losses minimization algorithm. More in detail, a test bench is set up to carry out the measurements needed for the final power loss identification. The experimental investigation is developed by performing tests at different speed, magnetization and load conditions. From the obtained results, it can be stated that the IPMSM efficiency can be maximized by simply acting on the direct axis current component, without decreasing the dynamic performances of the drive.