2.5-D Multi-Phase Topology Optimization of Permanent Magnet Motor Using Gaussian Basis Function

This article proposes a novel 2.5-D multi-phase topology optimization method using a Gaussian basis function for permanent magnet motors. The design region in the rotor was sliced into cylindrical layers; the 2-D topology optimization was performed for each layer such that the average torque was maximized, while the torque ripple was suppressed to the maximum possible extent. The proposed topology optimization could determine the rotor core and magnet shapes, as well as the magnetization direction. It was shown that the optimized 2.5-D topology optimization led to better torque performance when compared to conventional 2-D optimizations.