A comparative study of conventional and coreless axial flux permanent magnet synchronous motors for solar cars

Abstract

Axial Flux Permanent Magnet (AFPM) motors are suitable options for solar powered vehicles due to their compact structure and high torque density. Furthermore, in NS-type APFM machines, the magnetic stator core may be eliminated, which simplifies the manufacturing and assembly. This paper examines two different machine designs for use in the solar powered vehicle of the challenger class — a single rotor, single stator conventional AFPM machine, and a coreless AFPM machine with multiple stator and rotor discs. The conventional AFPM machine is designed for a one-wheel drive application, while the coreless one is intended for use in a vehicle with two driving wheels. Response surface methodology (RSM) is utilized to select among several hundreds of candidates, in both cases, the designs with minimum losses and mass while meeting the torque requirement. The performance of the selected designs have been studied via 3D finite element analysis (FEA).