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SPEEDAM 2006

International Symposium on Power Electronics,


Electrical Drives, Automation and Motion

Finite Element Analysis of a


Permanent Magnet Induction Machine
E. Trster, M. Sperling, Th. Hartkopf
Darmstadt University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Power Systems, Field of Renewable Energies
Landgraf-Georg Strae 4, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
Abstract--This paper presents the analysis of a
Permanent Magnet Induction Machine (PMIM) with the
help of the Finite Element Method (FEM).
A PMIM consists of two rotors, one with permanent
magnets freely rotating in the air gap and one cage rotor.
This arrangement allows to built a direct drive wind power
generator with characteristics of an induction machine.
To calculate this type of machine transient calculations
are necessary. Due to computation time a 2-D model was
chosen. Further on the moving mesh and eddy current
method was used. As the wind power generator is connected
directly to the grid, a circuit model which is coupled with
the FEM model is included.
The aim of this work was so far not to optimize the
machine but to develop a tool to calculate it. First results
show a good compliance with measured results.
Index Terms--Finite element methods, Induction machines,
Permanent magnet machines, Wind power generation

I. INTRODUCTION
An as yet little-considered electrical machine has the
potential to the optimal generator for wind turbines: the
permanent magnet-excited induction machine (PMIM). A
freely suspended intermediate permanent magnet rotor
rotates between stator and rotor cage (Fig. 1) and
supports the excitation of the machine. This allows
asynchronous function despite having a large air gap and
small pole pitch. The principle combines the advantages
of the induction machine (little maintenance, easy grid
connection and stable operation at the supply network)
with the advantages of the permanent magnet-excited
synchronous machine (high torque at small pole pitch,
good efficiency). When utilizing the PMIM as a generator
for wind-turbines the generator can be directly coupled to
the turbine and the grid. Thus the gearbox and the
frequency converter, which contribute significantly to
wind turbine losses, can be abandoned.

The idea of an internally excited induction machine in those days realized with electromagnets - was first
discussed by Punga and Schn [1] in 1926 for application
as a one phase locomotive drive. Supply of power to the
electromagnets via slip-rings, however, reduces the
reliability of the system. A logical alternative is to replace
the electromagnets by permanent magnets, which was
done by Douglas [2] in 1959 and Sedivy [3] in 1967. The
main objective of those projects was to improve the
power factor of a conventional induction machine. Due to
the fact that the energy product of available permanent
magnets was relatively low, the machine was described as
rather impractical.
Some years later in 1992, further investigations of the
PMIM - now using rare earth magnets - were carried out
by Low and Schofield [4]. The chosen PMIM configuration was different in that an internal magnet rotor and a
squirrel-cage ring were utilized. Despite a rather good
performance of the small prototype, the project was
stopped because of financial considerations.
The latest investigations have been carried out at
Darmstadt University of Technology by Hagenkort [5],
Gail [6] and Troester [7]. There the aim was not only to
improve the power factor, but to implement a directly
driven induction machine with a large diameter for wind
power applications.
Continuing with this work, this paper describes the
finite element analysis of a PMIM. The aim is to show,
how the PMIM can be modeled and how the
characteristics (e.g. torque, efficiency, power factor)
depend on the magnet height of the machine.
II. MODELLING A PMIM USING FINITE ELEMENTS
As the PMIM has a squirrel cage and permanent
magnets, the calculation method has to be examined
closely. Some FEM-Programs are able to calculate PMmachines or induction machines but not both at a time.
Those programs can do steady-state or harmonic
calculations. To calculate the PMIM transient
calculations are necessary. Thus a program had to be
taken, which is able to do transient calculations, which
lead to the general purpose software ANSYS.
Further decisions about the calculation method had to
be made. According [8], FEM-calculations of induction
machines have been applied basically with three different
classifications:

Fig. 1. Idealized cross-section of the PMIM.

1-4244-0194-1/06/$20.00 2006 IEEE

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2-D or 3-D
Fixed mesh or moving mesh
Eddy current model or circuit model

A. 2-D or 3-D Model


Three-dimensional
calculations
consume
a
considerable calculation effort of the computers. So for
field solution two-dimensional models are still preferred,
although some attributes of three-dimensional nature (e.g.
rotor end-ring, stator overhang windings, rotor skew,
radial ventilation ducts, inter-bar currents) have to be
neglected.
B. Fixed Mesh or Moving Mesh Model
The fixed mesh model is characterized by a rotor mesh
lying stationary in relation to the stator mesh. The stator
winding is fed with a current with slip frequency. This
method has the advantage of being less time-consuming
but has also some disadvantages. These are mainly that
variable speed and effects of variable air-gap
permeability, caused by the passing of the stator and rotor
teeth by each other, can not be considered. Further on the
non-linear iron saturation effect is reduced with the
assumption of a time-averaged reluctance, instead of
instantaneous reluctances.
The main disadvantage of a fixed mesh model is, that
it only works with pure induction machines without
permanent magnet, because the moving field of the
magnets can not be taken into account. Thus the moving
mesh method had to be taken.
In the moving mesh model a new position of the rotor
is calculated in each time-step. By this method the
disadvantages of the fixed mesh model can be
overwhelmed, unfortunately the time required for
simulations is much higher. A modern computer takes a
couple of hours to calculate a solution with an adequate
meshing and high number of time steps using twodimensional elements, while for fixed mesh calculation
with similar conditions this would take a couple of
minutes.
This large time needed is in part due to the fact that
rotor bar currents are not known. Therefore they start
from zero, causing a long transient that must be
calculated. To overcome this problem, the values of the
previous load step are taken as start values for the next
load step which brings some improvement in calculation
time.
C. Eddy Current or Circuit Model
The third classification is how the results are
evaluated. In the eddy current model everything is
calculated in the field solution. Currents flow naturally in
the conductive materials according the variation of the
magnetic field and the electrical resistivity of the
conductor. Skin effect is automatically included, as well
as leakage inductance effects. In the circuit model method
the currents are calculated outside the field solution in an
equivalent circuit diagram. The field solution is then used
to estimate circuit parameters (specially the coupling
impedances), checking compatibility with the results.
One advantage of this method is that harmonic currents
can be treated separately, specially at machine starting
when the rotor may run in the synchronous area of some
harmonics. Another advantage is that skewed slots can be
represented better by using the skew factor for harmonics.

To handle skewed machines with the eddy-current model,


a multi-sliced model would be necessary, what means
making parallel field solutions for many sections of the
rotor taken in different axial positions. Nevertheless the
advantages of the eddy-current model seem to overwhelm
the disadvantages leading to the choice of this method.
III. THE FEM-MODEL
The basic parameters of the modeled generator are:
TABLE I
BASIC MACHINE PARAMETERS
Parameter

Symbol

Value

Diameter

5m

Air gap

2x 5 mm

Pole pairs

150

Phases

Slots per pole and phase

Stator voltage

Vs

690 V

Frequency

50 Hz

By taking advantage of the symmetry, the number of


elements and thus computation time can be reduced
dramatically, thus only one pole of the machine was
modeled as shown in figure 2.

Fig. 2. Meshed model with circuit elements

The generator is connected directly to the grid. This is


taken into account by a circuit connected to the FE model
(Fig. 2). Besides the voltage sources representing the
grid, leakage inductances representing the overhang
winding are included. The elements of the FE model are
connected to the circuit via stranded coil elements on the
right.
After each time step, the connections between the
stator, intermediate rotor and the cage rotor had to be
renewed. Figure 3 shows the constraint equations
between the stator and the intermediate rotor. Vertical

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lines symbolize even connections, diagonal lines odd


connections.

The accuracy of the calculated results depends very


much on the time step and the number of periods
calculated to find the steady-state operation. The
following figure shows PM rotor torque, power and load
angle in dependence on the number of steps per period. A
reasonable number seems to be 40, which is equivalent to
a time step of 0.5 ms. A higher number would bring more
accuracy but also increases the computation time.

Fig. 3. Constraint equations in the air gap

Figure 4 shows the results for the torque derived from


the transient calculations. The aim is to find the steadystate operation point of one load step. At steady-state
operation the torque within the intermediate permanent
magnet rotor is equal to zero. To achieve this a PI
controller was programmed, which starts to change the
load angle at 0.4 s. At 0.8 s the steady-state operation is
reached. The final results have been calculated by taking
a mean value of the last 400 ms.
Fig. 5. Accuracy in dependence on the number of steps per period

An interesting phenomenon concerning the accuracy


can be found when plotting the current locus. In the area
of pure active current (power factor = 1) the results are
obviously wrong as shown in the following figure. This
effect can not be recognized in the torque characteristic
but only in the current locus. A possibility to overcome
this problem is by reducing the time step and increasing
the number of periods calculated.

Fig. 4. Transient progress of the torque

In the following table some characteristics of the


model are presented.
TABLE II
MODEL PROPERTIES
Number of elements
Typical time step
Type of processor used
Computation time per load step

787

0.5 ms
AMD Athlon 64 X2
Dual-Core 4400+
approx. 40 min
Fig. 6 Current locus with calculation fault

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IV. RESULTS
To get an idea, how the PMIM works, the flux
distribution at no load (Fig. 7) and at a slip of 3% (Fig 8)
is presented.

Fig. 7 Flux lines at no load

Fig. 9. Comparison of the arrangement with (PMIM)


and without (IM) permanent magnets

Figure 9 shows very clearly, that an induction machine


without permanent magnets can not be used as a direct
drive wind power generator. Torque, efficiency and
power factor would be far too poor.
The following figure shows the breakdown power in
dependence of the magnet height.

Fig. 8 Flux lines for a slip of 3%

In figure 9 the effect of the additional magnet ring is


shown. Calculations have been carried out for the
arrangement with and without magnets. Obviously
already a magnet height of only 5 mm per magnet has a
great influence on the achievable torque, the efficiency
and the power factor.

Fig. 10 Breakdown power in dependence on magnet height

By increasing the magnet height, the output power can


also be increased to a certain extend. Above a certain
value a saturation effect happens. This is very well
known from PM synchronous machines. A magnet height
of 15 to 20 mm seems to be reasonable. With a
breakdown reserve of 60 % this would correspond a rated
power of approx. 1.3 MW.

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Figure 11 shows the efficiency and the power factor


versus the output power from no load to breakdown in
dependence of the magnet height.

The efficiency is rather high as only ohmic losses are


considered. Further on the machine is not optimized and
not very well utilized, as the power output is rather low
for such a big machine.
Measured results of a 3 kW PMIM [6] are presented in
figure 13. With increasing stator voltage the relation
between stator voltage an internal voltage is reduced and
thus the machine behaves more like a normal induction
machine. In figure 14 FEM calculations of a wind power
generator are presented, the stator voltage is increased
and a similar behaviour to the measured results can be
recognized. The current loci are plotted from no load up
to breakdown slip.

Fig. 11. Efficiency and power factor vs. power for a stator voltage of
690 V and different magnet heights (hm)

Fig. 13 Current loci for different stator voltages (VS)


Measurement results of a 3 kW PMIM [6]

The diagram shows, that there is an optimum


concerning efficiency and power factor. In this special
case it is at a magnet height of 7 mm. This is true for a
certain winding arrangement and stator voltage. By
adopting one of those parameters, the optimum can be
shifted to other magnet heights as shown in the following
diagram.

Fig. 14 Current loci for different stator voltages (VS)


FEM calculations of a wind power generator

V. CONCLUSIONS

Fig. 12. Efficiency and power factor vs. power for a stator voltage of
800 V and different magnet heights (hm)

A model for calculating the permanent magnet


induction machine using finite elements has been
developed. A survey showed, that transient calculations
are necessary. Due to computation time a 2-D model was
chosen. Further on the moving mesh and eddy current
method was used.
A model of a direct drive wind power generator was
built. As the transient calculation consumes a lot of

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calculation time, it was favorable that symmetry


properties could be used and the geometry of the modeled
pole was not complicated. By this computation time
could be kept low. Other more complicated models
showed to be much more time consuming. To reduce the
computation time, the results of the preceding load step
are used as start values for the next load step leading to a
slight reduction in computation time. Further strategies to
reduce computation time have to be developed.
Due to the transient calculation it is of course possible
to analyse the transient behaviour of the machine. In this
work, the primary aim was to find the steady-state
operation and by this to calculate the torque characteristic
and other important characteristics like efficiency and
power factor. First results of a wind power generator are
presented. They show already a small magnet can
improve the achievable torque, the efficiency and the
power factor in comparison to an induction machine of
the same geometry.
The efficiency characteristic of the PMIM is favorable
for wind power generators, as the efficiency is higher at
partial load in comparison to rated load. At partial load
the most wind energy is yield.
Comparisons to measurements [6] show the same
behaviour of the calculated and the measured results.
Further calculations and optimisations have to show
whether a competitive PMIM wind power generator can
be built.
REFERENCES
[1] Punga, F.;
Schn, L.:
Der
neue
kollektorlose
Einphasenmotor der Firma Krupp, Elektrotechnische
Zeitschrift (1926), part I in Heft 29, pp 842-848, part II in
Heft 30, pp 877-881.
[2] Douglas, J.F.H: Characteristics of Induction Motors With
Permanent-Magnet Excitation, Trans AIEE (PAS), Vol 78,
June 1959, pp 221-225.
[3] Sedivy, J.K.: Induction Motor with Free-Rotating DC
Excitation, Trans AIEE (PAS), Vol 86, No 4 , 1967, pp
463-469.
[4] Low, W. F.; Schofield, N.: Design of a Permanent Magnet
Excited Induction Generator, Proc. ICEM 1992
Manchester University, Vol. 3, pp 1077-1081.
[5] Hagenkort, B.; Hartkopf, T.; Binder, A.; Jckel, S.:
Modelling a Direct Drive Permanent Magnet Induction
Machine, Proc. ICEM 2000, Helsinki University of
Technology, Vol. 3, pp 1495-1499.
[6] Gail, G.; Hartkopf, T.; Trster, E.; Hffling, M.: Static and
Dynamic Measurements of a Permanent Magnet Induction
Generator: Test Results of a New Wind Generator
Concept, ICEM 2004, Cracow.
[7] Trster, E.; Gail, G.; Hartkopf, T.: Analysis of the
Equivalent Circuit Diagram of a Permanent Magnet
Induction Machine, ICEM 2004, Cracow.
[8] Williamson, S.: Induction Motor Modelling Using Finite
Elements, ICEM 1994, Paris

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