Performance Analysis of an Outer Rotor Variable Reluctance Resolver

Variable reluctance resolver (VR-Resolver) is a robust electromagnetic sensor that provides position information for closed-loop control systems of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). For specific motion control applications, an outer rotor structure is presented for the VR-Resolver in this article with a nonoverlapping tooth-coil windings configuration to simplify the manufacturing process. The study on the structure of the proposed position sensor is carried out, followed by the description of the working principle. The presented outer rotor VR-Resolver is simulated and its performance is investigated in detail with the aid of transient finite-element analysis (TFEA). Sensitivity analysis is carried out on the rotor shape factors and slot opening, and the effect of manufacturing tolerances is investigated as well. Finally, the effectiveness of the optimal design is verified by 3-D TFEA.