Optimal Design of a Synchronous Reluctance Motor Using BioGeography-Based Optimization

High torque density is a demanding criterion in electrical machines. Machines with permanent magnet (PM) in their structure possess this feature inherently. On the other hand, in the motors with no PM material, torque density is a source of concern for machine designers. So, the optimization methods should be used in the design process to achieve the best performance in terms of torque density. Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) is a relatively new algorithm with good convergence in the least time. In this paper, the structure of a synchronous reluctance (SyncRel) motor with no PM material is optimized using the BBO method. Presentation of the mathematical relations and basics of BBO is conducted. BBO algorithm settings and the parts of the optimization problem are also introduced. ANSYS MAXWELL simulates the structure of the optimized machine. Then, the optimized and initial designs are compared, and the results show that the optimized motor improves the torque density by 100
^%
. BBO also keeps the value of torque ripple under 20% that is an acceptable value in terms of machine performance. To evaluate the performance of the BBO, the last part of the paper presents the convergence rate and the iteration table of the BBO.