Torque optimization of synchronous reluctance motor for electric powertrain application

For electric propulsion systems, synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs) are a competitive alternative to permanent magnet synchronous motors due to their low cost and robust structure. This paper presents the torque optimization of a SynRM designed for an electric powertrain application. The relationships between the torque of SynRMs and various design parameters, including the number of pole pairs, number of flux barriers, flux barrier length and rotor inner diameter, are investigated using analytical models and finite element method (FEM). Based on the investigation results, a SynRM design is optimized, which meets the torque requirement of 1400 Nm specified by the application.