Investigation in the accuracy of FEA Based Efficiency Maps for PMSM traction machines

The efficiency map is an indispensable tool for motor development, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has become widely used to create them instead of using measurements. The conventional method for creating efficiency maps, based on Look Up Tables, is widely adopted because it creates efficiency maps quickly. However, it takes several simplifications which cause accuracy issues. To evaluate high-efficiency designs, using FEA directly without those simplifications is needed. On the other hand, it comes at a significant time cost. In this paper, three methods for creating efficiency maps are compared on a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (PMSM) for Electric Vehicle traction application. It shows that the accurate version based on FEA without any simplification is necessary for creating efficient maps with sufficient accuracy. Furthermore, the additional use of a Reduced Order Model is effective in reducing the time required to create them.