Finite Element Analysis of an IPM Machine for Charging Operations in Electric Vehicles

In electric vehicles (EVs), using integrated chargers and onboard chargers is greatly economical because it re-utilizes vehicular devices and saves space when allocating the battery pack. While designing a DC-DC converter for an integrated charger, determining the inductance and performance offered by the electric propulsion machine is essential. The behaviour of the machine under normal motoring operation and as an inductor in a DC-DC converter is different. The inductance offered by an electric machine for a DC-DC converter is different from the inductance at normal operation. In this work, a comprehensive approach to accurately calculate the inductance offered by an Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (IPM) to a charging operation is calculated using Finite Element Method (FEM). The core and copper losses under this operation are also computed and compared with the normal motoring operation. The sensitivity of inductance offered by the machine with respect to the design parameters is also analyzed.