Testing of an in-wheel Halbach array motor

This paper presents the testing of an in-wheel permanent magnet Halbach array machine developed for automotive traction. A machine with a Halbach array rotor is experimentally compared to results from a surface mount variant with the same magnet mass and the finite element analysis (FEA) simulations done during its design. A battery emulator and dynamometer is used to mimic the performance in a vehicle. The Halbach version is shown to require between 6% and 15% less current to deliver the same torque across the operational speed range and delivers 20.6% more power during the continuous operation. High static cogging torque was found during testing and an approach to its solution is shown.