Design and Analysis of a New Permeability-Modulated Interior Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Machine

In this article, to improve the adjustment ability of air gap flux, a new interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous machine with permeability modulation characteristics is proposed for electric vehicles' (EVs) potential applications. The main trait of the machine structure is that a bridge between the rotor poles is intentionally established, which can produce a smooth magnetic path for the leakage flux. Thus, the flux leakage state can be adjusted by controlling the magnetic saturation of the bridge according to the machine load current. To clarify this feature, the machine performances are investigated by theoretical analysis and finite-element method. Finally, the designed machine is manufactured and its performances are verified by experiments. Both the simulation and experimental results prove that the torque of the proposed machine under loaded conditions can be flexibly adjusted by the magnetic permeability modulation without any complex control strategy.