Electromagnetic and Mechanical Analysis of an Interior Permanent Magnet Motor

Application ID: 119371


The magnets in an Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motor are embedded in the rotor core, where they form narrow regions known as bridges. The thickness of the magnetic bridge is an important parameter to consider in design, both from the electromagnetic and the mechanical perspectives. As the magnetic saturation in bridge areas affect the electromagnetic characteristics of an IPM, the thickness of the bridge should be kept minimum to reduce losses. However, during high-speed rotation, these narrow bridges also experience high stress, caused by centrifugal forces. These two conflicting aspects make the design and analysis of an IPM motor challenging.

In this example, the coupling between Solid Mechanics and Rotating Machinery, Magnetic for performing electromagnetic and mechanical analysis of an IPM motor is demonstrated. A motor with 10 rotor poles and 12 stator slots is modeled in 2D. The magnets are embedded in a V-shaped configuration inside the rotor core. The connection between the magnets and the rotor core is modeled as springs. The results give insight into magnetic flux density and stress distribution in the system.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: