Design method for prototyping a cost-effective VR spherical motor

This paper presents a CAD/CAE procedure for designing a variable-reluctance spherical motor (VRSM). The procedure offers an effective way to optimize key parameters that could significantly affect the torque performance of a VRSM. Specifically, the analytical procedure streamlines the design process using a conceptual design as an input to create 3D solid models, upon which FE analyses are performed to optimize key parameters. As an illustrative example, we introduce the design concept of a SWM capable of open-loop orientation control while its rotor spins continuously and demonstrate the concept feasibility experimentally.