Adopting the Topology Optimization in the Design of High-Speed Synchronous Reluctance Motors for Electric Vehicles

This article deals with the design of high-speed synchronous reluctance motors for electric vehicle applications. The need to enhance the power density and to lower the cost leads to research on high-speed motors with a reduced amount of rare earth. Pure synchronous reluctance motors potentially operate at high speed and exhibit a cost-effective rotor compared to permanent magnets and induction motors. Nevertheless, they present reduced performances in deep flux weakening operations, in particular when the so-called radial ribs are introduced to increase the mechanical robustness of the rotor. In this article, the introduction of the radial ribs and the related design challenges are investigated and discussed. The adoption of the topology optimization tool that is able to optimize the amount, the positioning, and the sizing of suitable structural ribs is presented. A design flow integrating the topology optimization is presented. The approach leads to an original positioning of the radial ribs able to preserve the performance of the motor at high operating speed enhancing the mechanical integrity of the rotor.