Design, manufacturing and optimization of PM-SMC motors

Soft magnetic composite (SMC), as a relatively new magnetic material, has attracted much attention in the design of electrical machines. This paper aims to discuss the specific and common problems in the design of permanent magnet (PM) motors with SMC cores. Firstly, the motor topology design is introduced for taking advantage of the SMC properties. Then, precise material testing and modeling methods are presented for the accurate core loss calculation of PM-SMC motors. Considering the influence of manufacturing process, two design optimization approaches are utilized for enhancing the motor performance. For improving the electromagnetic properties of the SMC cores, the orthogonal experiment is proposed for investigating and optimizing the heat treatment process. Considering the manufacturing tolerances in the actual production, the robust tolerance design optimization approach is introduced for pursuing the optimal motor performance and manufacturing cost with high reliability.