Design and FE Analysis of a Permanent-Magnet Synchronizer Brake

This paper reports on the design of a synchronizer brake based on permanent magnets, capable of braking with an active zero-slip load. Eddy-current brakes are widely used in automation and transportation applications; however, their use is limited by the rotor speed. For low-speed and high-torque applications, designs based on permanent magnets are better suited. Zero-slip braking torque is increased by the use of permanent magnets but, consequently, so is the cogging torque. At first, the synchronizer brake was designed with 16 surface magnets on the rotor. However, in order to reduce the permanent magnet mass, the rotor was re-designed with half the number of surface magnets. This novel design helped lower cogging torque and fabrication costs. Simulation of the design, using the 3D transient with motion solver in commercial finite element software, showed promising results.