Title: Optimal design and remedial control of fault-tolerant permanent magnet motors

Authors: Jinghua Ji; Wenxiang Zhao

Addresses: School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang 212013, China ' School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Road No. 301, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Abstract: Fault-tolerant Permanent Magnet (PM) motors are good candidates for Electrical Vehicle (EV) applications, offering high power density, high efficiency and high reliability. This paper investigates optimal design and fault-tolerant control strategy of a four-phase fault-tolerant PM motor with a Halbach PM array, aiming to deal with short-circuit and open-circuit faults, respectively. First, by comparing with a conventional array, the Halbach PM array is evaluated for the fault-tolerant PM motor. Second, by optimising the stator tooth shape, the short-circuit current is limited. Third, by doubling the current of the healthy phase, a remedial control strategy for the open-circuit fault is proposed. The predicted results of the motor's performance are based on the finite element and co-simulation methods. Measurement results from tests on a laboratory prototype are used to verify the theoretical analysis.

Keywords: electric vehicles; permanent magnet motors; fault tolerance; finite element method; FEM; optimal design; remedial control; short-circuit faults; open-circuit faults; simulation; Halbach array; stator tooth shape.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVAS.2013.053776

International Journal of Vehicle Autonomous Systems, 2013 Vol.11 No.2/3, pp.126 - 139

Received: 17 Jun 2011
Accepted: 25 Jul 2011
Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *

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