Thermal modeling of permanent magnet motor with finite element method

As good candidates driving motors of electric vehicle, permanent magnet motors (PMM) exhibit high efficiency and high power density. On the other hand, they are susceptible to suffer irreversible demagnetization and insulation failure of coils under severe thermal condition. In this context, to develop more efficient PMM, it is a necessity to carry out more thermal analysis in parallel with the traditional electromagnetic design. In this Paper, The thermal behavior over the cross-section of PMM is calculated analytically and after that, it is simulated by using finite element method. Firstly, a thermal analytical model is produced. Second, this model has been validated by simulation into the design program called FEMM. Finally, the obtained results confirm that the developed thermal model is capable of a sufficient degree of accuracy in the thermal design of PMM. Also, it has been found that the thermal design can be rewarded by major improvements in the overall performance.