Optimum design of a line‐start permanent‐magnet motor with slotted solid rotor using neural network and imperialist competitive algorithm

Slotted solid‐rotor line‐start permanent‐magnet motors have good synchronisation capability for high load torques and moment of inertia. This study presents the impacts of rotor‐slot parameters such as the slot depth and width to obtain better synchronisation capability. Therefore, the starting torque and the torque near synchronisation speed are considered. For high synchronisation capability these torques should have higher values. To obtain optimum parameters, the artificial neural network and the imperialist competitive algorithm are used. The results obtained show that the values of parameters are very close to the outcomes of the sensitivity analysis. Finally, a four‐pole, 1500 rpm, 1050 W, three‐phase line‐start synchronous motor with an optimised slotted solid rotor is prototyped to confirm the validity of the results.