Proceedings of the 2008 International Conference on Electrical Machines
Design Considerations for Rotors with Embedded
V-Shape Permanent Magnets
Steffen Hahlbeck
Daimler AG
Steffen.Hahlbeck@daimler.com
Abstract- This paper looks into the mechanical and
electromagnetic design for rotors with embedded magnets of
Permanent-Magnet-Synchronous Machines. In a study it has been
investigated in which way a solid bridge between the permanent
magnets improves the mechanical stability of the system and if it
has an influence on the electromagnetic performance. In the
second part a new design process for the rotor is introduced. The
aim of this design process is to decouple the calculation of the
reluctance torque from the permanent magnet torque and to
reduce the complexity of the electromagnetic design for the rotor.
I. INTRODUCTION
Electrical machines as synchronous machines with
embedded permanent magnets in their rotor (permanent-
magnet-synchronous machines, PMSM) are commonly used
for electrical drives in automobiles with hybrid or full
electrical drives. For this purpose the PMSM is used in a very
large speed range from 0 to 15.000 rpm. Arranging the
permanent magnets (PM) in a V-magnet shape is a good
solution for this kind of application as it produces a high
reluctance torque next to the PM torque. This leads to an
advantage in efficiency as the field weakening current needed
above rated speed is also torque-producing. Additionally, it
decreases the dependency of the design on temperature
variations according to the temperature dependency of the PM
flux. Since the used Rare Earth Magnets have a great effect on
the machine costs it is advantageous to reduce the needed
magnet volume per torque. This is a motivation to produce a
high share of torque through the reluctance effect.
Rad1 Rotor outer radius
Rad3 Stator outer radius
Gap Airgap length
LFe Stack length
Z Number of slots
p Number of pole pairs
BetaM PM Arc
BetaB Flux-Barrier Arc
X2 Width of bridge between magnet
pocket and rotor surface
a_0 Width of bridge between magnets
α PM angle
LM Thickness of PM (in direction of magnetization)
wmag Width of PM
rB Radius of Flux-Barrier
Fig. 1. Geometry and parameters of magnet pole with magnets in V-shape.
978-1-4244-1736-0/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE
Paper ID 908
Dieter Gerling
Inst. For Elec. Drives, Univ. of Federal Defense Munich
Dieter.Gerling@unibw.de
The aim of this paper is to set rules for designing a rotor
with V-shape-magnets with low leakage flux within the rotor,
which is mechanically robust at maximum speed and has a low
torque ripple while fulfilling the torque and power
requirements. Therefore it was necessary to carry out
mechanical and electromagnetic calculations for different rotor
designs, which have been realized in this study by the Finite
Elements Method (FEM).
II. MECHANICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
A. Introduction
The design of the PM pole in V-shape has many geometric
degrees of freedom (see Fig. 1). With single-layer design it is
possible to have a high share of reluctance torque on the
produced torque (Saliency Ratio of 2 to 4 [6]). An alteration in
one parameter of the pole design can result in a variation of the
reluctance torque as well as the PM torque. That is why it is
difficult to predict in detail which alteration is causing which
effects on each torque component. Additionally to the
electromagnetic design it is necessary to review the mechanical
robustness of the rotor geometry at maximum speed plus the
required safety factor. The mechanical robustness of the rotor
often contrasts the needs of the electromagnetic design in terms
of leakage flux. A mechanically optimized design could result
in a low utilization of the PM flux and therefore leads to high
costs for the PMs. In the end one has to find a compromise to
fulfil both requirements.
rotor surface
X2
α
Magn a_0 LM rB
et et Rad1
Magn
wmag
Bridge
(air or solid)
BetaM
BetaB
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Proceedings of the 2008 International Conference on Electrical Machines

B. Modelling
In the first part it is investigated which effects a solid bridge
between the magnets building a V-shape has on the torque
performance of the electrical machine and on the mechanical
robustness of the rotor. A simple machine design with
V-magnet shape is chosen (see Fig. 1). In Tab. 1 the geometric
data of the model and the chosen materials are summarized. A
FEM model is built to perform the mechanical as well as the
electromagnetic calculations. Forces of electromagnetic origin
and temperature effects were neglected in these simulations
[3]. The yield is indicated by planar von Mises stress. Fig. 2. Stress results at 8640 rpm for design without solid bridge.

TABLE I
GEOMETRIC DATA AND MATERIALS FOR FEM MODEL
Symbol Value Symbol Value
Rad1 108.5 mm p 8
Rad3 145 mm Z 24
Gap 1 mm wmag 13 mm
LM 3,5 mm Lfe 70 mm
a_0 0,5 mm
Material Material property Value
M330-35AP Bending strength 350 N/mm²
E-modulus 190000 N/mm²
NdFeB 210/250h Bending strength 250 N/mm²
E-modulus 150000 N/mm²
Fig. 3. Stress results at 8640 rpm for design with solid bridge.
C. Mechanical Calculations
According to the geometric data in Tab. 1 two different rotor The torque performance is 9% higher when reducing the
geometries are built. One model is built without a bridge area for leakage flux in the rotor by using a solid bridge
between the magnets; the other one has the solid bridge. The between the PMs building the V-shape. But at the same time
spacing between the magnets (a_0) stays equal. Stress the torque ripple and cogging torque increase as well. The
simulations are done with FEM at the overload speed of comparison of the induced voltages shows that the design with
8640 rpm. At this speed the yield stress of the electrical steel solid bridge couples more permanent magnet flux with the
should not exceed 350 N/mm². Calculations are performed for stator due to the lower leakage flux and the higher saturation of
both models. The length of X2 is adjusted until the permitted the leakage flux paths. Consequently, the utilization of the PM
yield stress is kept. flux is better when using a solid bridge between the magnets.
In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 the von Mises stress at maximum speed
is shown. The resulting length of X2 for the model with a solid TABLE II
RESULTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC CALCULATIONS
bridge between the magnets is 0.82 mm. This is in contrast to
Design without Design with
the model without the solid bridge where a length of 1.75 mm Quantity Difference
solid bridge solid bridge
is required for X2. With these values the resulting area for the Maximum Torque
214 Nm 233 Nm
19 Nm
leakage flux in each model is calculated. This is carried out by TMAX +9 %
Torque Ripple 14,3 Nm
multiplying X2 with the active length. The model with solid TRP
65,8 Nmpp 80,1 Nmpp
+22 %
bridge has one more path which is the solid bridge between the Cogging Torque 3,5 Nm
8,1 Nmpp 11,6 Nmpp
magnets. However, the model with the solid bridge reaches its TCG +43 %
mechanical robustness with 61 % of the leakage flux area Induced Voltage 40 V
210 Vpeak 250 Vpeak
UPH +19 %
compared to the model without this bridge.

D. Electromagnetic Calculations
In a second step the electromagnetic calculations with the
two models were carried out. For both designs the
electromagnetic torque for different load angles (see Fig. 4),
the induced phase voltage and the cogging torque were
calculated. In Tab. 2 the results are shown.

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Proceedings of the 2008 International Conference on Electrical Machines
250 Proposed geometry for rotor
lamination with V-magnet shape
200

Optimization of reluctance torque

150
performance
T [Nm]

optional: optimization of
100 PM-torque performance
with solid bridge
Optimization of full-torque
without solid bridge
50 performance

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Rotor geometry with V-magnet
load angle [°el] shape

Fig. 4. Torque vs. load angle of both designs. Fig. 5. Proposed electromagnetic design process.

E. Summary The parameters were adjusted to obtain a high Saliency

It is shown that the utilization of the electrical machine is Ratio with the rotor design and consequently a high reluctance
better using a V-magnet shape with a solid bridge between the torque. In this example the iterative optimization was stopped
magnets. The main reasons for the higher utilization are the at the seventh step (see Fig 6). From step 1 to step 7 the
smaller and consequently higher saturated paths for leakage reluctance torque was increased by 34% while the Torque
flux when still achieving the mechanical robustness of the rotor Ripple Factor was decreased by 8%. For better evaluation of
at overload speed. Nevertheless, the rotor design does not meet torque ripple TRP, the Torque Ripple Factor is used in this
the requirements as the results show that torque ripple and context.
cogging torque increase with the better torque performance. It
is also to be mentioned that a solid bridge between the PMs
TRP
results in a higher cross-coupling effect [2]. TRF = ⋅100% (1)
T

III. ELECTROMAGNETIC DESIGN PROCESS FOR THE ROTOR The resulting rotor design parameters after all 7 iterations
are shown in Tab. 3. This rotor design is used for the further
A. Introduction steps of the design process.
To simplify the design process for rotors with magnet poles
in V-shape, an electromagnetic investigation is carried out. A
120,0 30
design procedure (see Fig. 5) is proposed wherein at first the
machine is designed as a reluctance machine. In other words 100,0 25
the V-shape is investigated without the influence of the PM

TRP [Nmpp] ; TRF [%]

flux. After optimizing the reluctance torque in terms of torque 80,0 20

ripple and mean value of the produced torque, the magnets are
T [Nm]

60,0 15
added to the FEM model and the whole torque performance is Torque
Torque Ripple
investigated. It is expected that the design process is less Torque Ripple Factor
40,0 10
complex by this method instead of optimizing both torque
components at the same time. If the design process still does 20,0 5
not reveal the expected results, a further step could be added to
the process. This optional step is the investigation of the PM 0,0 0
torque component without the influence of reluctance torque. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Design Step
B. Investigation of reluctance torque
As an example, a machine design with 20 poles and 24 slots Fig. 6. Iterative optimization of reluctance torque.
is chosen. For this pole and slot combination very low cogging
torque and torque ripple caused by the PM flux is expected [5]. TABLE III
The parameters wmag and α are designated as degrees of GEOMETRIC DATA OF ROTOR MODEL (STEP 7)
freedom for the investigation of reluctance torque. The size of Symbol Value Symbol Value
the PM slots is kept constant. The two parameters will be Rad1 114 mm p 10
Rad3 145 mm Z 24
adjusted with the aim to maximize the reluctance torque while Gap 1 mm wmag 13.2 mm
obtaining a small torque ripple. At first a known configuration LM 4 mm Lfe 70 mm
is chosen and the torque versus rotor position is calculated. a_0 0,5 mm α 16°

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Proceedings of the 2008 International Conference on Electrical Machines
C. Investigation of PM and reluctance torque 30
For the calculation of the combined PM and reluctance
torque performance the PMs are added to the FEM model and 25

the torque is calculated for several load angles δ versus rotor 20

position (see Fig. 7).

T RP [Nmpp]
The results show a strong variation of the torque ripple with 15

the load angle. The highest torque ripple is calculated for a

10
load angle of δ=20°el. The lowest torque ripple is found for
δ=0°el. Here, δ=0°el. means there is only current in q-axis. 5
Since Id=0 A there is no reluctance torque according to (2).
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
400
load angle [°el]
350

300 Fig. 8. Torque ripple vs. load angle.

delta=0
delta=10
250
delta=20
200
delta=30 within seven iterative steps, the PM and reluctance torque
T [Nm]

150
100
50
0
0 60 120 180
-50
rotor position [°el]
Fig. 7. Combined PM and reluctance torque versus rotor position.
Te =
3
[
⋅ p ⋅ (Ld − Lq )⋅ id ⋅ iq + Ψdm ⋅ iq
2 advantages of a solid bridge between the magnets were
One can conclude that torque ripple is mainly caused by
reluctance torque. This is further proved when comparing the
calculated values with maximum torque ripple at the load angle
of δ=30°el. The torque ripple calculated for the design without
PMs is 23.9 Nmpp. At the same load step with PM torque a
torque ripple of 25.5 Nmpp is obtained. This shows a strong
influence of the reluctance torque on the torque ripple but at
the same time also a strong dependency of the total torque
ripple on the load angle which is shown in Fig. 8.
According to [7] torque ripple can be reduced by increasing
the magnetic air gap in the q-axis. This means reducing the
mean value of reluctance torque which is somehow
counterproductive to the approach of reducing permanent
magnet material by maximizing the reluctance torque. Since it
was shown here that the main reason for the torque ripple is
produced by variation of reluctance torque versus rotor
position and load angle, the lamination shape without PMs
should be revised.
D. Summary
The proposed design process is once performed with a
machine design with 20 rotor poles and 24 stator slots. After
retrieving a suitable design regarding the reluctance torque
delta=40
delta=50
performance was calculated. It is shown that the reluctance
delta=60 torque is here the main reason for torque ripple. Therefore it is
delta=70
delta=80 recommended to optimize the reluctance design once more in
delta=90 terms of torque ripple.
The proposed design process was proved to reduce the
240 300
complexity of finding a suitable rotor design in terms of
maximizing the reluctance torque while achieving a low torque
ripple.
IV. CONCLUSION
In this paper the design of rotors for PMSM with embedded
magnets in a V-shape was investigated. In particular, the
] (2) mechanical requirements were taken into consideration. The
analyzed.
A new electromagnetic design process was proposed. The
aim to decouple the PM torque from the reluctance torque is to
reduce the complexity for the optimization of the rotor design.
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Sensorless Control Feasibility”, IEEE Transactions on Industry
Applications, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 87-96, January/February 2007.
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Conventionally Laminated, High-Speed, Interior PM Synchronous
Machine Rotors”, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 40,
no. 3,pp. 806-812, May/June 2004.
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