Multiphysics Topology Optimization of SynRMs Considering Control Performance and Machinability

Automatic and intelligent design processes have been investigated for synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs) utilizing the topology optimization method. A clear and smooth structural boundary is important for convergence accuracy and structural machinability in the automatic generation process. However, the smooth structural boundary can hardly be ensured by applying the methods based on fixed meshes, like solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method. An improved SIMP scheme is developed in this research to realize the automatic generation of SynRM's rotor with crisp boundary. The element density is mapped into level-set values to guarantee the explicit boundary generation. Meanwhile, the impact of the electrical parameter is also considered in the structural generation process. The current angle is interpolated with derived sensitivity. Considering the torque enhancement at the maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) condition, the current angle is optimized simultaneously in the optimization model while keeping the mechanical performance of the rotor. A case study of a 3 kW SynRM is conducted. The optimization and experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed method.