Eddy Current Analysis of Magnetic Gear Employing 3-D FEM

Noboru Niguchi, Katsuhiro Hirata, Masari Muramatsu, and Yuichi Hayakawa

Department of Adaptive Machine Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University
2-1, Yamadaoka, Suita-city, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
noboru.niguchi@ams.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp

AbstractThis paper describes the effect of an eddy current

on dynamic characteristics of a surface permanent magnet type
(SPM-type) magnetic gear using multi nodes technique in 3-D
finite element analysis.
I. INTRODUCTION
Magnetic gears have some advantages such as low
mechanical loss and maintenance-free operation that are not
observed in conventional mechanical gears. A SPM-type
magnetic gear attracts attention because it has high transmitted
torque density in spite of its complex structure involving multi-
poles magnets. And some studies on SPM-type magnetic gears
[1] have been carried out, but few papers concerning the effect
of eddy current on dynamic characteristics can be seen.
In this paper, the effect of eddy current on transmission
torque and eddy current loss in a SPM-type magnetic gear is
discussed using multi nodes technique in 3-D finite element
analysis.
II. ANALYZED MODEL AND OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLE
A SPM-type magnetic gear mainly consists of a high-speed
rotor, a low-speed rotor, and stationary pole pieces (see Fig. 1).
A high-speed rotor generates magnetic harmonics around
stationary pole pieces. While a high-speed rotor rotates, a low-
speed rotor rotates in accordance with the gear ratio [1].
Fig. 2 shows a quarter of the whole analyzed model
because of the symmetry. The yoke of low-speed rotor and
stationary pole pieces are made of laminated silicon steel
sheets to reduce eddy current.
High-speed rotor (Nh = 4)
III. ANALYSIS METHOD AND CONDITIONS
In this analysis, the A-I method is employed:
wA (1)
rot (Q rot ) Q 0 rot M  V  grad I
wt
wA (2)
div  V  gradI 0
wt
where v and v0 are the reluctivity of magnetic material and
vacuum, respectively, M is the magnetization, and V is
electrical conductivity. As shown in Fig. 2, the electrical
insulation between laminated silicon steel sheets are taken into
account using the multi nodes of electric scalar potentials [2].
The rotation speed of each rotor is decided in accordance with
the gear ratio, and the phase angle between two rotors is given
according to the applied load on the low-speed rotor.
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Fig. 3 shows the analyzed transmission torque when the
rotation speed is varied from 0 to 1000 rpm with and without
electric insulation. The obvious difference is observed in the
transmission torque because the eddy current greatly decreases
due to insulation between laminated silicon steel sheets.
Fig. 4 shows eddy current loss characteristics when the
phase angle is varied from 30 to 90 degrees in steps of 30
degrees. It is observed that eddy current loss decreases
according to the increase of phase angle because operating
point of both magnets is changed.
The validity of these analyzed results will be verified by
the measurement on a prototype in the final paper.
5 1.2
Transmission torque [Nm]

4.9 1.15
Low-speed rotor (Nl = 10) - Yoke (S45C) 4.8
Eddy current loss [W]

- Yoke (Laminated silicon steel sheet) - Ring magnet (Br = 1.25 T) 4.7 1.1
- Segment magnet (Br = 1.30 T) With insulat ion
4.6 1.05
Stationary pole pieces (Ns = 14) 4.5
4.4 1
Gear ratio Gr = -2.5 (Laminated silicon steel sheet)
4.3 0.95
Without insulation
4.2 0.9
4.1
Fig. 1. A SPM-type magnetic gear in this study 4 0.85
0 500 1000 0.8
Double nodes n symbol shows the number of nodes. Rotation speed of 0 30 60 90
Multi nodes the high-speed rot or [rpm] Phase angle [deg]
2
Fig. 3. Transmission torque v.s. Fig. 4. Eddy current loss v.s. phase
rotation speed (phase angle: 60 deg) angle (speed: 1000 rpm)
2 2 3
Eddy
current
V. REFERENCES
2 [1] K. Atallah, S.D. Calverley, and D. Howe, Design, analysis and
Number of elements:573392
Number of nodes:115917 realization of a high-performance magnetic gear, IEE Proc-Electr.
Number of edges:718978 Laminated Segment Power Appl. Vol. 151, No.2, March, pp.135-143, 2004-2.
silicon steel sheet magnet [2] Y. Kawase, T. Yamaguchi, R. Okayasu, K. Iwashita, M. Aoki, and T.
Tsuzaki, Analysis of Eddy Current in Laminated Silicon Sheets of
Fig. 2. FEM model and multi nodes technique Permanent Magnet-type MRI by 3-D Finite Element Method Using
Multi Nodes Technique, IEEJ Trans. lA Vol. 123, No.9, 2004 (in
Japanese).

978-1-4244-7062-4/10/$26.00 2010 IEEE