Electromagnetic design and performance analysis of a two-phase AFPM BLDC motor for the only-pull drive technique

Abstract

This study proposes a two-phase single-air-gap axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motor that offers a trapezoidal back-electromotive force (EMF) waveform to improve the performance of the only-pull drive technique compared with the radial flux PM (RFPM) motor. The only-pull drive technique provides the benefit of allowing the use of thin magnets in the motor without suffering from irreversible demagnetisation. In the proposed motor, the design geometry is primarily considered to achieve the desired trapezoidal shape of back-EMF. The effects of the geometry are explained with the help of air-gap flux density, flux linkage, and the leakage flux. Both the radial flux and the proposed motor adopt the same design concept and hold equal electromagnetic loadings. The profile of back-EMF and the electromagnetic torque driven by the only-pull drive technique are compared with that of RFPM motor with non-trapezoidal back-EMF. Furthermore, the split configuration is proposed for the AFPM motor to reduce torque ripples. The demagnetisation analysis is performed to confirm the operating point of the magnets in a split-AFPM motor. The results reveal that the AF motor is a good candidate for the only-pull drive technique.