Design and Analysis of Rotor Shapes for IPM Motors in EV Power Traction Platforms

Abstract

The recent increase in the use of permanent magnet rotor motors underlines the importance of designing a rotor with an interior permanent magnet (IPM) structure, high power, and high efficiency. This study analyzed the rotor shapes of IPM motors for electric vehicles. Five types of motor rotors for automobiles were analyzed, including two hybrid vehicles. In order to minimize the number of variables in the analysis, the size of the motor stators was fixed and only the rotor shapes were modified to compare torque, torque ripple, efficiency and back-electromotive voltage. When the motor properties were compared as a function of rotor shape, the rotor shape with the smallest magnet volume exhibited excellent results for torque, efficiency and torque ripple.