Torque Enhancement of Surface-Mounted Permanent Magnet Machine Using Third-Order Harmonic

This work presents a permanent magnet (PM) shaping technique with optimal third harmonic to improve the output torque without deteriorating the torque ripple in surface-mounted PM (SPM) machines. The optimal value of third harmonic injected into the sinusoidal PM shape for maximum torque improvement is analytically derived and confirmed by finite-element analysis. Further, the influence of magnet edge thickness on the airgap field distribution is investigated and utilized to compensate the inter-pole flux leakage and curvature effect. It is found that the optimal third harmonic is 1/6 of the fundamental one. For the SPM machines having rotors without shaping, Sine shaping, Sine shaping with third harmonic injected, the electromagnetic performance, including the back-EMF waveforms, cogging torque, average torque, and torque ripple are compared. It is demonstrated that the average torque in the machine of a Sine shaping with an optimal third harmonic injected can be improved by >9%, while the torque ripple remains similar to that of the one with Sine shaping. Finally, the machines with both conventional (without shaping) and optimal third harmonic PM rotors are prototyped and measured to validate the analyses.