Design considerations for high performance traction machines: Aiming for the FreedomCar 2020 targets

This paper presents considerations for the design of high performance, interior permanent magnet machines for traction applications. These machines will be designed to reach the FreedomCar 2020 targets set by the US Department of Energy for the year 2020 for traction machines, considering both concentrated and distributed wound designs. The paper presents a trade-off study of a wide range of motor designs with the main focus on the number of rotor poles and stator slots. The results from this investigation are then used to achieve an optimal design in terms of the target requirements, as these are introduced in a logical sequence.