IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL 31, NO 3, MAY 1995 2115

Magnetic Field Analysis and Inductances of Brushless DC Machines with

Surface-Mounted Magnets and Non-Overlapping Stator Windings
Zhu 2. Q., HoweD., andMitchell J. K.
Department of Elecixonic and Electrical Engineering, University of Sheffield,
Mappin Street, Sheffield S 1 3JD, UK

Abstract - A 2-d analytical model is developed for calculating However, in order to simple the analysis, it is assumed
the self- and mutual-winding inductances of brushless dc that:
machines having surface-mounted permanent magnets and (a) the slot shape is rectangular, the dimensions,
non-overlapping stator windings. The model is validated bo,b,bo,b , and the width of the coil, d , being shown
against both finite element analyses and measurements, and
used to predict the influence of machine design parameters. in Fig. 1;
(b) the stator teeth and back iron are infinitely permeable;
I. INTRODUCTION (c) the leakage flux passes straight across the slot
Although the majority of brushless dc machines have opening, as shown in Fig.2, while the magnetic field
magnets mounted at the rotor surface the calculation of the strength H, is assumed to be constant on this
winding airgap inductances has usually been based on a 1- boundary. This is usually acceptable since the slot
d analytical model [l] which is essentially identical to that opening in most brushless motors is small.
used in the analysis of induction machines. However, since Considering the case when only phase ais excited, i.e.
the effective airgap is much larger, this is inappropriate. i, = I, and ib,ic = 0 , then assumption (c) can be described
Further, the airgap component of the inductance may
account for only a small portion of the total winding by Hxlrh = and HJrh = 0 . The field is govemed by
b0
inductance, of which the slot component may be dominant. the Poisson equation:
Therefore, it is crucial to accurately calculate the magnetic
field distribution in both the slot and airgap regions.
However, in machines having non-overlapping
concentrated windings, Fig.1, the stator coils are disposed
asymmetrically in the slots. This paper presents a 2-d where 6(x) is the current density distribution in the slot. In
analytical method for calculating the field in the slot order to obtain the magnetic field distribution the method
regions of such machines, and the associated components of images is applied, and the resulting current density
of inductance. distribution is asymmetrical about x = 0 , as shown in
Fig.2, and can be described by:
11.MAGNETIC
FIELDDISTRIBU~ON
In the analytical calculation of the winding inductances
the effect of saturation can be accounted for by introducing
6(x) = 6, + $
n - . ,3
6,cosy( x )-;
a saturation factor, while the field analysis is subdivided
m
into the airgaphagnet and slot regions. In each region the
2-d field distribution is calculated, and expressions for the
self- and mutual-inductances are derived. In computing the
field in the airgaphagnet region the winding m m f s are 26, . nxd 6 , = --I a
distributed over the stator slot openings, and the effects of where 6, = -I, 6, =--sin--,
bh nx b dh
curvature and the large effective airgap are taken into nz nx
account. The analysis is applicable to both brushless and 6,, = 6, cos- , a, = 6, sin-
2 2
permanent magnet dc and ac machines with either
overlapping or non-overlapping stator windings [2].
However, in this paper, the discussion is focused on the
asymmetrical field distribution in the slots of machines
with non-overlapping windings, Fig. 1. In such machines,
conventional models for calculating the slot-leakage
component of inductance are not appropriate. Therefore, in
the following analysis, the magnetic field in the slot region
is obtained using a 2-d method, which accounts for the slot
aspect ratio, the slot opening and the coil width.
Fig.1. Simplified slot structure and winding distributionfor brushless dc
Manuscriptreceived July 6, 1994. motor with non-overlapping winding.

OO18-9464195$04.00 0 1995 IEEE

2116

-> X

I I I I
-a -3w2 -b
-hn 4 E b

Fig.2.2d analytical model for magnetic field and inductance analysis.

(8)
while the corresponding magnetic field strength n-2.4.6
-- b
distribution along the boundary which is coincident with 1-e b
the slot opening is described by:
SELF-ANDMUTUALINDUCTANCES
111. WINDING
While the three winding inductances, viz. apparent,
(3) incremental, and effective, can be calculated by finite
where element analysis using the energy perturbation technique
[3], the method is time consuming, and therefore
Ho = f
b J,, Hn =%sin%
nn 26
and J, =e
b0
unsuitable for routine design use. However, it is used here
to venfy the developed analytical model. Further, when the
magnetic circuit is linear or only lightly saturated the
The general solution for the vector magnetic potential apparent, incremental, and effective winding inductances
be expressed as: are identical. and the self- and mutual-inductances.
L,,M,, etc. are calculated simply from La = 2 4 I I' and
A=A M&=(w,b- w , - w , ) / I ' , in which the energies w,,
L -I
w b , and W,b are deduced from the field distributions with
either one phase excited (i.e. i, = I, ib,ic = 0 , and ib = I,
(4) i,,i, = 0 ) or two phases excited (i.e. ia,ib = I , i, = 0 ) .
However, in surface-mounted magnet machines in which
where
the effect of saliency is negligible, the winding inductances
A = -+poa2 +& will not vary with the rotor position and W, = wb for
symmetrical windings.

+ 5 (5) 5 (y)
n-2,4,6
+cosn~x+
n-13.5
+sinzr b (5)
The self-inductance can be derived analytically from the
field solutions and the energy relationship, i.e.
w =+L~,I; (9)
The coefficients, 4,Bn,Cn,Dn, are determined by It is well known that the total energy can be subdivided
applying the boundary condition (3), which yields the into a Component wl associated With the CSIying Current
following expressions for the vector potential and field reDon V and a component W, associated with the
distributions: boundary region s . Therefore,
A =-+poG2 w = w, + w, (10)
 21 17

Where On substituting the field solution into the above

equations, the slot component of the mutual-inductance
(11) A4& is obtained as:
2 y-0 x 4-d
V
N:
-2 Pole*- (19)
4, = -*$(Ha
S
x --
A,)& = "*Ia
260
fi
-f
Al,,dX. (12)
P
where the permeance coefficient Ad is given by:

The slot component of the self-inductance L,, of one

phase winding can then be obtained by substituting the
, ,A = L[L + L
2 3b
5; iiL(SinF1
d 2 h b n _ ,3 ( ~ ) 4
field solution into the above equations to give:

where p, is the permeability of free space, p is the

-- 8
dhbob n-z6.,,(&y nx nxd
cos?nbSin26
nxb,

number of pole pairs, le* is the effective axial length of the

stator lamination stack, N, is the number of series turns
per phase, and h, is the permeance coefficient given by:
When d -0.56 the slot permeance coefficients,
h, =-+- including the component due to the tooth tip region,
become:
h,=&+-+-
h b
bo 36 12h

and
Similarly, the slot component of the mutual-inductance
can be obtained from the energy relationship. However,
due to symmetry only half of the mutual energy is
considered, i.e.
w *MIaIb
and
w = w,+ w, (16) where the factor ln in equations (20) and (22) is due to
the fact that in nonsverlapping winding machines only
where half the flux produced by one phase links with another
phase winding. It is clear from equations (19)-(22) that, in
4 = t j ( A a.ab)&
V
= -7
le@b
2
-%d
y-0 x--$
A&dy (17) general, the ratio of the mutual-inductance to the self-
inductance will depend on the slot dimensions.
W.ViUIDATIONS
1 = -+j(Hb X A , ) G ! S
4 = - (le) Validations have been made on a 150W,2000rpm, 3-
S phase, 4-pole, 6-slot brushless dc motor with a non-
where is the vector due to the phase overlapping winding and surface-mounted bonded NdFeB
magnets. The main design parameters are B, = 0.48T,
winding current some, a,, while Hb is the field strength
p, = 1.1, h, = 3mm, g=O.585mm, and N, = 200. Fig.3
due to the phase 'b' winding current source, 6,.
shows comuted field distributions with/without the rotor,
with both-one phase winding excited and two phase
-
windings excited, but without the rotor magnets in order
21 I8

V. CONCLUSIONS

Finiteelemeat Analytical Brushless dc motors having surface-mounted permanent

-mH Measured prediction prediction magnets and non-overlapping stator windmgs are a
with L 10.3 10.15 10.72 prefened format for many applications. Compared with
rctor M -4.4 -4.32 -4.66
without L 6.6 6.54 7.04
conventional overlappingwinding machines, they can have
rotor M -3.12 -2.52 -2.82 a higher efficiency and a lower cogging torque, while the
simpler winding arrangement can be sigmficant as regards
to highlight the asymmetry in the field distributions cost-effectiveness. However, due to the large effective
airgap and asymmetric field distniution in the slot region,
-
produced by the windings which is important for the
a 2-d model is required for analysing the field and
determination of their inductances. A comparison between
predicting the inductances not only in the airgap/magnet
predrcted and measured inductances is given in Table I, in
region but also in the slot. In this paper, a 2-d analytical
which it will be noted that all the predictions include the
model has been developed and validated for analysing the
end-winding component of inductance which is predicted
asymmetric field distriiution in the slot region and the
-
by a conventional method [2] but whch is relatively
corresponding components of the self- and mutual-winding
small. Fig.4 shows how the calculated total and airgap
inductances. It has been shown that the slot leakage
components of the self- and mutual-inductances vary with
components of inductance are comparable to the the airgap
the effective airgap, and includes measured values. The
components, while the ratio of the mutual-inductance to
results confirm the accuracy of the developed analytical
the self-inductance may vary si&icantly and depends on
method, and show that, unlike induction machines which
the motor design.
have a small effective airgap, the slot leakage component
of inductance in surface-mounted magnet machines can be REFERENCES
:omparable with the airgap omponent of inductance.
[l] T.J.E.Miller, Brushless permanent magnet and reluctance motor drives,
Oxford Univasity Press, 1989.
[2] Z. Q. Zhu, D. Howe, and T.S. Birch, "Calculation of winding
inductances of brushless motors with surface-mounted permanaa
magnets", Prm. Int. Conj: Electrical Machnes, vol. 1, pp.327-332,
Paris,5-8 Sept 1994.
[3] N.kDemerdash, F.kFouad, and T.W.Nehl, "DeLamination of
winding inductances in farite type permanent magnet electric
machinay by fmite .elm&", IEEE Transocnons on Mognencs,
~01.18,~p.1052-1054, 1982.

with rotor with rotor

-10 -I -
I
-15 -:
................................
-
without rotor without rotor

(a) one phase winding exited (b) Two phase windings excited

Fig.3. Magnetic field distribdons with/without the rotor, with both one Fig.4. Variation of inductances with effective airgap
phase winding excited and two phase windings excitated
(the magnets being removed).