Design Optimization of an Electric Machine for a 48-V Hybrid Vehicle With Comparison of Rotor Technologies and Pole-Slot Combinations

Abstract

Through analytical equations followed by a systematic optimization study using high-fidelity finite-element (FE) models, the torque capability of three common synchronous machine technologies—namely, a permanent magnet (PM) synchronous machine (PMSM) with V-shaped rare-earth rotor magnets, a PMSM with deep V-shaped ferrite rotor magnets, and a synchronous reluctance machine (SynRM) with four layers of conforming flux barriers are compared for an application in a 48-V mild hybrid electric car. The optimization of the deep V-shaped ferrite PMSM automatically resulted in a spoke-type PM layout for maximum torque production. Yet, an optimized SynRM with conforming flux barriers was achieved that could produce a higher torque than ferrite PMSM. One machine technology is selected and six variants of it, with two rotor PM layouts each with three alternative pole-slot combinations, are subsequently subjected to a large-scale FE model-based drive-cycle design optimization. Various pole-slot combinations are methodically compared in terms of drive-cycle losses, active material cost, torque ripple, and PM demagnetization level. More than 20 000 designs were analyzed over ten energy-centric torque-speed points to identify an optimal design solution. The results of multiphysics analysis incorporating electromagnetics, computational fluid dynamics, and structural analyses are provided, including a study on three different water jacket concepts. A final design is prototyped and primary experimental results are provided.