Optimum Design of High-Speed Single-Phase Flux Reversal Motor with Reduced Torque Ripple

Abstract

Single-phase motors are used in low-power, cost-effective, variable-speed applications. As a replacement to traditional single-phase synchronous motors with magnets on the rotor, single-phase flux reversal motors (FRMs) with a rugged and reliable toothed rotor are considered for the high-speed applications. However, torque pulsations of single-phase motors are high. The aim of this work is to minimize the torque ripple and increase its minimum instantaneous value, as well as to reduce FRM losses. To solve this problem, an asymmetric rotor is used, and an objective function is proposed, which includes parameters characterizing the pulsations of the torque and the loss of FRM for two load conditions. To optimize the single-phase FRM and minimize the objective function, the Nelder–Mead method was applied. The optimization criterion was selected to maximize the efficiency, to reduce the torque ripple, and to the avoid the negative torque in a wide range of powers at the fan load (quadric dependence of torque on speed). Two operating loading modes are considered. After two stages of optimization, the peak-to-peak torque ripple in the FRM in the rated loading mode decreased by 1.7 times, and in the mode with reduced load by 2.7 times. In addition, in the FRM before optimization, the torque has sections with negative values, and in the FRM after optimization, the torque is positive over the entire period. Although losses in the rated mode increased by 4%, when underloaded, they decreased by 11%, which creates an additional advantage for applications that work most of the time with underload.