Design of an axial-flux switch reluctance motor for a novel integrated motor-compressor system

This paper presents an axial-flux (AF) switch reluctance motor (SRM) designed for a residential HVAC centrifugal compressor system. The impeller blades of the compressor are designed to work as the rotor of the proposed AF-SRM. The stator is designed with specially shaped poles that are axially positioned on top of the impeller blades. The overall compressor assembly physically integrates a centrifugal compressor with a motor, making the design compact and attractive for refrigeration systems. 3D-Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to validate the electromagnetic (EM) performance of the proposed AF-SRM based on the design and performance specification of the compressor system. Finally, mechanical structural analysis to observe vibration and acoustic noise is also performed.