Performance analysis of synchronous reluctance motor with limited amount of permanent magnet

This paper analyzes the performance of a synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) equipped with a limited amount of a permanent magnet (PM). This is conventionally implemented by inserting PMs in rotor flux barriers, and this is often called the PM-assisted SynRM (PMa-SynRM). However, common PMa-SynRMs could be vulnerable to irreversible demagnetization. Therefore, motor performance and PM demagnetization should be simultaneously considered, and this would require the PM to be properly arranged. In this paper, various rotor configurations are carefully studied and compared in order to maximize the motor performance, avoid irreversible demagnetization and achieve higher PM utilization. Moreover, the field weakening capability is investigated and improved by regulating armature excitation. A particular rotor type with flux intensification was found to possess higher PM utilization, lower demagnetization possibility with fairly high performance. Thus, suitable rotor configurations are recommended for certain applications.