Electromagnetic and Structural Analysis of Synchronous Reluctance Motors for Electric Vehicle Applications

With Increasing environmental concerns and high fuel prices, the automotive industry is shifting its focus to electric vehicles (EVs). Electric motor being the heart of an electric vehicle, faces a major design challenge to have optimum performance and structural strength at an affordable cost. Synchronous reluctance motor offers higher power density at low cost since the rotor is free from rare earth permanent magnets or field excitation. However, torque fluctuations and resulting vibrations are a major concern. This is amended by optimizing the end-barrier width and end-barrier orientation angle in the rotor so as to maximize the torque and minimize the ripple. Simulations are also performed with ferrite magnets assistance to achieve an enhanced torque output. In each case, a structural analysis is done to verify the mechanical strength and rotor deformation considering structural and electromagnetic forces. The analyses are performed using finite element simulations. A comparison study is made to check the impact of ferrite assistance on electromagnetic and structural performance of the motor.