Six-Phase Fractional-Slot-per-Pole-per-Phase Permanent-Magnet Machines With Low Space Harmonics for Electric Vehicle Application

This paper discusses the development of new winding configuration for six-phase permanent-magnet (PM) machines with 18 slots and 8 poles, which eliminates and/or reduces undesirable space harmonics in the stator magnetomotive force. The proposed configuration improves power/torque density and efficiency with a reduction in eddy-current losses in the rotor permanent magnets and copper losses in end windings. To improve drive train availability for applications in electric vehicles (EVs), this paper proposes the design of a six-phase PM machine as two independent three-phase windings. A number of possible phase shifts between two sets of three-phase windings due to their slot–pole combination and winding configuration are investigated, and the optimum phase shift is selected by analyzing the harmonic distributions and their effect on machine performance, including the rotor eddy-current losses. The machine design is optimized for a given set of specifications for EVs, under electrical, thermal and volumetric constraints, and demonstrated by the experimental measurements on a prototype machine.