Rotor Air-Gap Layout for Low Cogging and Torque Ripple

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motors with grooves on the outer periphery of magnets face a challenge where reducing torque fluctuations when power is applied increases cogging torque, and vice versa, making it difficult to improve motor performance effectively.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a rotor design for a rotating electric machine that incorporates magnetic air gaps in the assisted salient pole member, which are offset to cancel out torque fluctuations when power is applied, thereby reducing both cogging torque and torque fluctuations independently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If conventional skew is applied to reduce torque fluctuations, then torque fluctuations are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetorque fluctuationsVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of applying conventional skew to the entire rotor structure, the invention segments the rotor core and applies groove features only to specific segments. This localized approach reduces torque fluctuations while maintaining simpler overall structural complexity compared to full rotor skewing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies groove features locally to specific segments of the rotor core rather than uniformly across the entire rotor. This local quality approach enables torque fluctuation reduction in critical areas while avoiding unnecessary complexity in other regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design effectively reduces torque fluctuations when power is applied without decreasing the torque, allowing for improved motor performance in terms of efficiency, reliability, cost, and productivity, while also reducing vibrations and noises in electric vehicles.

Implementation Method 1

a first magnetic air gap 258a and a second magnetic air gap 258b are arranged, respectively, at positions offset from a q-axis a and a q-axis b

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic flux: Magnetic Field

Implementation Method 2

the magnetic air gaps... are arranged... so as to cancel out torque fluctuations when power is applied

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTorque fluctuation cancellation: Magnetic Reluctance

Data Source

PatentEP3955425B1Rotating electric machine and electric automobile
Publication Date: 2025.01.29 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP3955425B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3955425B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3955425B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A rotating electric machine includes a stator having a stator coil and a rotor provided rotatably around a specific rotation axis with respect to the stator. The rotor includes a plurality of magnets, a plurality of magnetically-assisted salient pole members provided between poles of any adjacent two magnets from among the plurality of magnets, and a magnetoresistance variation unit provided in the magnetically-assisted salient pole member along an axial direction of the rotation axis at a position offset in a circumferential direction of the rotation axis from a q-axis passing through a salient pole center of the magnetically-assisted salient pole member. The amount of offset of the magnetoresistance variation unit from the q-axis varies depending on positions of the magnetically-assisted salient pole members so that torque fluctuations cancel each other when power is applied.