A Novel Modular Permanent-Magnet Electric Machine Design

Modern electric drive applications have presented a growing need for cost-effective solutions which are efficient, easy to maintain, and fault-tolerant. This paper presents the concept and implementation details of a modular permanent-magnet electric machine that is cheap to manufacture and easy to assemble. This topology allows flexibility in the choice of material for the stator and rotor structures. Analysis of this unconventional machine model has been carried out using 3D finite element analysis (FEA) and is benchmarked with an experimental prototype. The validated model is used to explore optimization of various geometrical, magnetic and mechanical properties of the system in order to improve overall performance, while retaining the ease of manufacture and assembly. The concept of field factor has been introduced, which can be used for comparison and optimization of magnetic topologies similar to the concept proposed. Simulation and experimental details are provided to validate claims.