Irreversible Demagnetization Analysis of Permanent Magnet Materials in a Novel Flux Reversal Linear-Rotary Permanent Magnet Actuator

This paper proposes a novel flux reversal linear-rotary permanent magnet actuator (FR-LRPMA) with permanent magnets (PMs) mounted on the stator surface. The proposed FR-LRPMA uses only 50% of the PM materials when compared with that of the topology with four-PM poles in a conventional stator pole actuator. The FR-LRPMA provides a pathway for the magnetic field, which is generated by currents in the armature winding, resulting in substantial reduction in the possibility of irreversible demagnetization of the PMs to increase its torque density. According to the physics of PM demagnetization, a simplified fitting analytical expression, which considers the angular velocity, current, temperature, and PM thickness, is derived to determine the least work point of the PM. The torque prediction using the proposed algorithm at different currents agrees well with the values calculated using a finite-element method. It also confirms that the novel topology has a larger torque density.