High Torque Density and Low Torque Ripple Shaped-Magnet Machines Using Sinusoidal Plus Third Harmonic Shaped Magnets

This paper proposes a novel shaped-magnet surface permanent magnet machine design concept featuring magnets shaped according to a sinusoid plus a third harmonic along the axial direction, and full-pole-pitched distributed stator windings with a unity winding factor to provide high torque density with essentially zero torque ripple for high-performance motor applications. The magnet thickness is uniform along the radial direction so as not to impair the magnet's ability to handle the demagnetization force. The proposed design was compared against a full-pole-pitched magnet design with maximum magnetic loading and a conventional bread-loaf magnet design. The results demonstrate that the proposed shaped-magnet design uses the magnet materials efficiently to achieve torque density comparable to that of the full-pole-pitched magnet design, and essentially zero torque ripple without compromising its resistivity against a demagnetization force, which conventional bread-loaf magnets cannot offer.