Analysis and experimental validation of performance for an axial flux permanent magnet brushless DC motor with powder iron metallurgy cores

A small axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) brushless DC servomotor with powder iron metallurgy cores has been designed and built and its results are presented in this paper. To predict the motor performance, 2-D and 3-D finite element analyses have been performed respectively, and the results are compared in terms of computations of the no-load field and the cogging torque. Finally, the computed results and the predicted characteristics are validated by measurements on a prototype AFPM motor.