Electromagnetic Performances Analysis of a New

Magnetic-planetary-geared Permanent Magnet

Brushless Machine for Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Xiaoyong ZhU1,2, Lingting Kong\ Long Chen2, Wenxiang Zhao\ Li Quan\ Ming Cheng3
1 School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
2 Institute of Automotive Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
3 School of Electrical Engineering, Southeast University, 210096, China
zxyff@ujs.edu.cn
b5lrJcl- This paper proposes a new magnetic-planetary-geared
permanent magnet brushless (MPG-PMBL) machine for hybrid
electric vehicles. The key is to integrate a magnetic planetary
gear into permanent magnet brush less machine. Thus, the
resulting machine can achieve both power split and mixing
fexibly, and therefore, can obtain ultralow emission and high
fuel efciency at different operational modes. Moreover, by
incorporating the concept of non-contact transmission
mechanisms of magnetic gear, the proposed machine possesses
the merits of small size, light weight, reliability, reduced
maintenance and inherent overload protection. By using the
fnite element method, the electromagnetic performances are
analyzed. Finally, multi-operational modes are analyzed to
evaluate the proposed system.
I. INTRODUCTION
Limited by the unsatisfactory performance of battery
technologies and the high cost of fuel cells, hybrid electric
vehicles (HEVs) have been considered as the best choices to
bridge the current situations and the demands for clean and
energy-efcient transportation. According to the types of the
power-train, HEVs can be generally classifed as series HEVs,
parallel HEVs and power-split HEVs, in which the power
split HEVs combine the benefts of both the parallel types
and the series types, hence offering the merits of ultralow
emissions and high fuel economy [1-2]. As one of the core
components, the power-train of power-split HEVs is also
termed as continuously variable transmission (CVT) system.,
In many cases, mechanical means or electric means are ofen
used to realize the fnction of CVT system, which are shown
in Fig. .
(a) mechaical meas (b) electric means
Fig. 1. The two basic means of CVT.
Fig. 2 depicts the basic architecture of the CVT system of
Toyota Prius. It mainly consists of a planetary gear set, two
electric motor/generators (M/Gs) and two power electronic
inverters. The interal combustion (IC) engine shaf is
connected to the planet carrier, and the rotor shafs of the two
M/Gs are attached to the sun gear and ring gear respectively.
The ring gear is connected to the fmal driveline through a
counter shaf. By controlling the switching modes of the
inverters, multiple power fows among the IC engine, the
M/Gs and the battery can be achieved. Thus, the CVT system
can realize the required function of power split and
combination at different vehicle road load conditions where
high fel effciency is obtained. However, the reliance on
mechanical gears (including the planetary gear set and the
counter gear) and the silent chain inevitably causes the
drawbacks of transmission loss, gear noise and regular
lubrication.
1DVctct 1
Fig. 2. Toyota Prius CVT system .
LuuDct
SHa
In order to overcome these shortcomings, dual mechanical
port (DMP) electric machines have also been reported, where
a stator and two concentrically arranged rotors are involved.
Fig. 3 shows the CVT system with DMP electric machines.
The DMP electric machines are mounted between the IC
engine and the counter shaf. By appropriately contolling the
power fows between the stator and rotor windings, the speed
ratio of the two rotors can be varied to keep the operation of
the IC engine at maximum efciency during all driving
conditions, then the intended CVT fnctions can be realize
[3-4]. However, the DMP machines ofen require carbon
brushes and slip rings to transfer electrical energy, which
degrades the reliability of the whole system [5-6].
978-1-4673-2421-2/12/$31.00 2012 111 4110
.++..
.-+.-,.1
ss.asr
1L .-,.-.
s-...

.s.a
.-+.-,.1
__ __ a.....,
Fig. 3. The CVT system with dual mechanical port electric machines.
Recently, much attention has been paid to some new types
of non-contact magnetic gears. One type of magnetic gear is
called coaxial magnetic gear (CMG). As all the PMs are
involved to transmit torque, the CMG can achieve a torque
density in excess of 100kNm/m
3
, which is as high as its
mechanical gear [7-13]. Another new type of magnetic gear is
called magnetic planetary gear (MPG). The latest researches
show that, by employing rare-earth magnets, the torque
density of the CMG can be dramatically improved. When six
planet gears are adopted in one MPG, the torque density is
nearly up to 98kNm/m
3
[14-16]. Since these non-contact
magnetic gears offer the advantages of high efciency, high
torque density, reduced acoustic noise, and fee maintenance,
they have some promising industrial applications, such as
HEV drives or wind power generation [17-22].
The purpose of this paper is to incorporate the concept of
the non-contact magnetic planetary gear into a permanent
magnet brush less machine, so that the resulting new
magnetic-planetary-geared permanent magnet brush less can
not only realize the required speed and torque transmission,
but also manage the power split and combination at different
operational conditions. Thus, the aforementioned drawbacks
aroused by the mechanical planetary gear set can be
overcome. Moreover, due to the high torque density of PM
machines and the high extent of integration, the proposed new
CVT possesses the merits of small size and light weight,
which are important to improve the transient performance of
REVs.
II. MOTOR TOPOLOGY
Fig. 4 shows the structure of the proposed three-phase
magnetic-planetary-geared permanent magnet brushless
(MPG-PMBL) motor. The key is to integrate a magnet
planetary gear into a permanent magnet machine. It consists
of a stator and three main rotational parts: the compound rotor,
four magnetic planet gears and the magnetic sun gear. The
carrier is connected with the four magnetic planet gears, so
the magnetic planet gears can realize rotation and revolution
around the sun gear at the same time. Since the magnets are
mounted on both the inside and outside surfaces of the rotor,
the compound rotor also serves as the magnetic ring gear. The
stator and the compound rotor can produce torque in the same
way as conventional PMBL machines.
Fig. 4. The proposed three-phase MPG-PMBL motor.
To meet the dynamic performances in HEVs, the integrated
PMBL machine should offer the advantages of high power
density, high effciency and high reliability since it directly
affected the torque density and reliability of the whole CVT
system. Accordingly, the proposed three-phase CMG-PMBL
motor has 14 pole-pair surface mounted PMs on the
compound rotor and 30-slot in outer stator, where the
factional-slot concentrated windings are involved.
nternaI
Lombustonngne
MYI- YMB1machne
Fig. 5. The electric CVT system using the MPG-PMBL motor.
Fig. 5 shows the new electric CVT system using a MPG
PMBL machine. The IC engine shaf is connected with the
sun gear as one of the input terminals, while the carrier is
attached to the fnal driveline as the output terminal, and
magnetic ring gear is the controlled terminal of the PMBL
machine. By controlling the speed of the compound rotor, the
gear ratio between the output terminal and input terminal can
be varied, and hence it can realize several transmission modes
fexibly and allow the IC engine to maintain its highest
efciency at any given power. Compared with the CVT
system with dual mechanical port electric machines, the new
CVT system have no slip rings and carbon brushes, thus, the
reliability can be improved signifcantly.
III. FIITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
The electromagnetic performance of the proposed MPG
PMBL machine can be analyzed by using the fnite element
method (FEM) [23-28].
Fig. 6 shows the feld distributions of the machine, in
which Fig. 6(a) shows the position where the carrier has no
output torque, while Fig. 6(b) shows the position where the
4111
carrier has the maximum output torque. It can be observed
that the four planet gears can be spaced evenly around the
machine and mutual magnetic interference among these
planet gears is little. Thus, the correct planet gear
arrangement can reduce the cogging torque signifcantly.
Fig. 6. Flux density distributions of the machine. (a) Position of no torque.
(b) Position of maimum output torque.
By rotating the compound rotor (magnetic ring gear) at the
rated speed of 1000rpm, the corresponding fux linkage and
back electromotive force (EMF) waveforms are obtained and
shown in FigA and Fig. 5 respectively. As expected, the back
EMF waveforms still remain approximately trapezoidal,
which is similar to the conventional PMBL machine.
0.15
Rotor angle (mech.deg.)
Fig. 7. The three-phase fux linkage.
200
Phase t Phase A Phase B
150
100

4
50

~
=
G
=
-50

-100
-150
-200
Rotor angle (mech.deg.)
Fig. 8. The three-phase back EMFs waveforms at IOOOrpm.
The transmitted torque around magnetic sun gear and ring
gear torque can be assessed by calculating the Maxwell's
stress tensors in the airgaps while the planet gears are kept
standstill. Fig. 6 shows the resulting torque curves. It can be
found that, torque-angle curves vary sinusoidally, in which
the maximum transmission torque of the ring gear and sun
gear can reach 31.3 and 118.2Nm respectively.
40
J0
20
8
10

0
D

0 20 =
-1O
-2O
-J0
40

Angle of magnetic snn gear (mech.deg.)

Fig. 9. The torque-agle relationship of magnetic sun gear.
150
100
20 1 0
-150
Angle of magneitc ring gear (mech.deg.)
Fig. 10. The torque-angle relationship of magnetic ring gear.
Then, the cogging torque can also be calculated by using
the Maxwell's stress tensors. By keeping the carrier standstill
and rotating the magnetic ring gear and sun gear, the cogging
torque of sun gear is obtained as shown in Fig. 10. It can be
seen that, the maximum cogging torque is nearly 1.5Nm,
which is only 1 " of the maximum torque (nearly 118Nm).
2
I.5
e
!

0.5

=
g 0
9-0.5
m
C
" -1
-
!
. 5
2
Sungcarposition(dcg.)
Fig. II. The cogging torque of magnetic sun gear.
By purposely adopted the magnetic planetary gear into the
motor, the proposed motor can realize the required fnction
of power split and combination at different vehicle road load
conditions.
Table I lists the different operational modes of the motor,
4112
where
K
is angular velocity of magnetic ring gear, _ is the
angular velocity of the magnetic sun gear, _ is the angular
velocity of the planet carrier.
TABLE IlLLlI-OPFRlIO`\ODFS
Motor
Engine
Engine Regenerative

driving only
Engine start
driving only
Hybrid driving
dri ving/ charging braking
Ix
Ihput utput Ihput utput
utput
Schematic
J J h . . J
view
E
x
Output Ihput Ihp utputIhput[Output Ihput[Output
r Ihput
Sun gear Fix Output Input Input Input Fix
Rotation+
Rotation+ Rotation+ Rotation+ Rotation+
Planetary
Revolution Ratation Revolution Revolution Revolution Revolution
gear
(Output)
Ring gear
Input
'
7
Gear ratio
= -
'r
!U
Input
J
'K
= --
'S

(Output)
Fix
' C
=
'S
J
-
!
As seen fom the Table I, in starting or very low speeds of
HEV, the IC engine usually shuts down to avoid low fuel
efciency. Hence, the vehicle is driven by the electrical
motor alone, which is called the mode of motor driving only
and the gear ratio is 0.7. Above a threshold speed, while
driving the vehicle, the proposed motor needs to start the IC
engine.
Then in medium- and high-speed ranges, the motor can run
at the engine driving/charging mode. The IC engine runs
continuously at nearly a constant speed and torque, locked
into a so-called sweet spot of highest fuel efciency. At the
same time, the speed coordination between the IC engine and
the vehicle is handled by the CVT, and torque control is
accomplished by subtracting torque fom drive train through
the motor which can serve as a generator.
In the hybrid driving mode, the torque and the speed of
magnetic ring gear and sun gear are in the opposite direction,
which means the PMBL machine and the IC engine can
deliver power to the carrier simultaneously. Thus the dynamic
performances will be enhanced signifcantly especially in the
stage of acceleration or climbing where substantial
electromagnetic torque is needed.
Finally, in regenerative braking mode, the vehicle can
lower the speed or stop, and the IC engine can shut down
completely, so the kinematic energy stored in the vehicle
mass can be recycled back to the battery through the PMBL
machine for fuel economy.
IV. CONCLUSION
By integrating a magnetic planet gear into a PMBL
machine, a new CVT device of MPG-PMBL machine has
been proposed in this paper. Compared with the other
traditional CVTs, the new MPG-PMBL machine has several
advantages of small size, light weight, reliability, reduced
(Output) (Output)
Input Output
3 7 I0 7
{c = l
ls +l
l/ 3
lc -
3
l/ = ls
(Input)
Output
'r
=
'
!U
-

maintenance and inherent overload protection. By using the

fnite element method, the electromagnetic performances are
analyzed. Based on the parameters resulting fom the fnite
element analysis, the static characteristics, namely fux
linkage, back EMF and torque, are deduced. The multi
operational modes have also been investigated. Both
theoretical analysis and simulation results show that the
proposed machine can realize the fnctions of CVT, and thus,
is an interesting candidate for advanced HEVs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was fnded by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (Grant No. 51177065 and 51077067)
and partly supported by the Natural Science Foundation of
the Jiangsu (Grant No. BK2011475). The work was also
partly funded by the Priority Academic Program
Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
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