Thermal Modeling and Analysis of Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Machine with PCB Stator

It is necessary to consider temperature rise when an axial flux permanent magnet machine (AFPMM) is designed since the excessive rise in temperature damages the machine’s performance. An AFPMM with a coreless printed circuit board (PCB) stator is designed and studied in this paper. The studies mainly focus on the thermal modeling and analysis of windings for the incomplete heat dissipation conditions of the PCB stator inside the machine. Firstly, the three-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic field model of the AFPMM is established by the finite element method (FEM). Then the bidirectional coupled simulation between the electromagnetic field model and the thermal model is realized. Finally, the temperature rise of the PCB stator is reduced by increasing the linewidth of the effective conductors to optimize the design of the AFPMM. Measured performances of the manufactured prototype verify the validity of the proposed bidirectional coupled thermal model.