Optimal Parametric Design of Radial Magnetic Torque Couplers via Dimensional Analysis

In this article, we apply dimensional analysis to the optimization of radial magnetic torque couplers. Our goal is to find the design that maximizes the torque potential in a given package size. We consider two types of torque coupler: the permanent-magnet (a.k.a. synchronous) torque coupler, in which both the inner and outer rotors contain permanent magnets; and the variable-reluctance torque coupler, in which the inner rotor contains permanent magnets and the outer rotor contains soft-magnetic teeth. Both types of torque coupler are defined by the same set of independent geometric and material parameters. First, the Buckingham
$\Pi $
theorem is used to find the minimal set of dimensionless parameters required for design optimization. Then, using a combination of 2-D and 3-D finite-element analysis, we find and characterize the optimal designs. We explicitly consider torque couplers with eight stable magnetic equilibria (i.e., 45° of rotation between stable equilibria), but the methodology can be repeated for other configurations.