Impact of the Current Vector Angle on the Performance of a Synchronous Reluctance Motor With an Axially Laminated Anisotropic Rotor

The impact of the current vector angle on the performance of a synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) with an axially laminated anisotropic (ALA) rotor intended for high-speed applications is studied. The paper shows that the current vector angle not only impacts on the stator winding Joule losses and iron losses, but also strongly influences eddy current losses in the rotor (when the rated torque is produced). The rotor eddy current losses are determined by the flux density harmonics produced by the stator. The air gap flux is affected both by the magnitude and angle of the current vector. However, the rotor surface harmonics are not directly related to the overall flux level (which can be quite low at a high current angle) but depend more on the values of the individual slot current linkages. Considering the dependence of rotor losses on the current vector angle, the most efficient operating point is suggested to be close to 45° or slightly larger, up to 65°, where a compromise between increasing rotor eddy current losses and winding Joule losses and decreasing stator iron losses is found. The eddy current loss distribution between the layers of an ALA rotor is analyzed in detail. With a larger current vector angle, the eddy current losses increase most in the layers close to the d-axis. This is explained by the largest current linkage in the stator slots that are in front of the layers close to the d-axis. The dependence of torque ripple on the current vector angle is also observed. An analysis of rotor and stator high-order harmonics, which determine the torque ripple, is performed.