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Machines
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Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors
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Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrical Machines and Drives".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 9909

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yiming Shen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Interests: design and control of flux-modulated machines; permanent magnet linear machines for high-precision systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xuhui Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Nantong University, Nantong, China
Interests: design and optimization of flux modulated and multi-port motors; design of fault tolerant motor driving system; direct-drive motor; linear and arc permanent-magnet motors
Dr. Shengdao Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
Interests: development of emerging applications of electrical motors; design and development of axial flux PM motors; vibration and noise analysis of electrical motors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, driven by advancements in rare-earth permanent magnets (PMs), permanent magnet motors have attracted significant attention and found widespread application in various fields, such as transportation, aerospace, wind power generation, and industrial drives. Advances in motor topologies, materials, cooling, and manufacturing processes have increased the complexity of their design and performance optimization. Therefore, continued research and development in the design, performance optimization, and application of permanent magnet motors is crucial for meeting growing demands for efficient, compact, and reliable motor systems.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for researchers to share their latest findings related to the design, performance optimization, and application of permanent magnet motors. The Special Issue covers a wide range of topics, including the following: (1) new topology designs for permanent magnet motors, such as flux-modulated motors, variable-flux motors, multi-port motors, and others; (2) performance optimization for permanent magnet motors, such as multi-objective optimization, multi-physics optimization, surrogate-model-based optimization, and others; and (3) new applications of permanent magnet motors, such as low-speed direct-drive motors, arc motors, PCB motors, rotary-linear motors, and others. Submissions of original research articles related to these topics are welcome.

Dr. Yiming Shen
Dr. Xuhui Zhu
Dr. Shengdao Zhu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • flux-modulated motors
  • variable-flux motors
  • multi-port motors
  • multi-objective optimization
  • multi-physics optimization
  • surrogate-model-based optimization
  • low-speed direct-drive motors
  • arc motors
  • PCB motors
  • rotary-linear motors

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5103 KB  
Article
Investigation of Hybrid SMC–Laminated Magnetic Core Structures in Tubular Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet Linear Machines
by Seung-Ahn Chae, Dae-Yong Um and Gwan-Soo Park
Machines 2026, 14(4), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14040381 - 30 Mar 2026
Viewed by 573
Abstract
Tubular flux-switching permanent-magnet linear machines (TFSPMLMs) are difficult to optimize using a single core material because conventional axial laminations suffer from severe in-plane eddy-current loss, whereas soft magnetic composites (SMCs) exhibit lower permeability and higher hysteresis loss. To address this trade-off, three hybrid [...] Read more.
Tubular flux-switching permanent-magnet linear machines (TFSPMLMs) are difficult to optimize using a single core material because conventional axial laminations suffer from severe in-plane eddy-current loss, whereas soft magnetic composites (SMCs) exhibit lower permeability and higher hysteresis loss. To address this trade-off, three hybrid SMC–laminated steel core configurations were investigated: H1, with radially laminated steel in the yoke; H2, with axially laminated steel in the tooth; and H3, with circumferential laminated steel segments. A reference SMC model (R1) and the three hybrid models were comparatively evaluated using three-dimensional finite element analysis (3D FEA). H1 and H2 showed degraded performance due to an interfacial micro-gap along the main flux path and additional in-plane eddy currents in the laminated steel regions. To mitigate these limitations, circumferential segmentation was applied to the laminated steel parts. With eight segments, H2 achieved a thrust force of 278.8 N, comparable to that of R1, while reducing iron loss by 22.5%; even a two-segment structure provided noticeable improvement. Among the investigated models, H3 showed the best overall performance by avoiding a micro-gap on the main flux path, achieving 285.5 N, and 3.9% higher thrust force and 18% lower iron loss than R1. These results indicate that H3 is the most effective hybrid-core configuration for maximizing both thrust force and loss reduction, whereas segmented H2 is an attractive practical option when manufacturability and low-loss operation are considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors)
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19 pages, 4775 KB  
Article
Asymmetric Permanent Magnets for Reducing Axial Leakage Flux in Double-Spoke Type PMSM
by Seong-Kyun Lee, Seung-Heon Lee, Su-Bin Jeon, Ye-Rin Lim and Won-Ho Kim
Machines 2026, 14(3), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14030300 - 6 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 534
Abstract
Recently, the demand for electric motors that can achieve high performance while ensuring stable magnet supply has continued to increase across various industrial sectors. Although rare-earth permanent magnets, such as neodymium and samarium cobalt, enable superior electromagnetic performance, their high cost and supply [...] Read more.
Recently, the demand for electric motors that can achieve high performance while ensuring stable magnet supply has continued to increase across various industrial sectors. Although rare-earth permanent magnets, such as neodymium and samarium cobalt, enable superior electromagnetic performance, their high cost and supply instability have motivated growing interest in motors employing non-rare-earth permanent magnets, such as ferrite magnets. Due to the relatively low remanent flux density and coercivity of non-rare-earth magnets, spoke-type rotor structures are commonly adopted to enhance flux concentration. However, spoke-type configurations inherently suffer from axial leakage flux, in which a portion of the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnets fails to link with the stator and instead leaks along the axial direction. This axial leakage flux reduces the effective air-gap flux density, leading to a degradation of back electromotive force (back-EMF) and overall motor performance. In this study, a double-spoke-type motor employing asymmetric permanent magnet geometry is investigated. Finite element analysis (FEA) is performed to identify an effective rotor structure that reduces axial leakage flux without increasing magnet usage, demonstrating the feasibility of performance improvement in non-rare-earth permanent magnet motors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors)
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20 pages, 5492 KB  
Article
Stator Structures and Models of Using Grain-Oriented Electrical Steels for High-Power-Density PMSMs
by Guanglin Li, Jing Zhao, Xiaoqing Guan, Jianguo Zhu and Zhiyuan Hu
Machines 2026, 14(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14020147 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 621
Abstract
This article studies different stator structures and modeling methods for using grain-oriented electrical steels (GOES) to improve the performance of high-power-density permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). The magnetic characteristics of GOES samples are measured under magnetizations at different angles and frequencies. Models of [...] Read more.
This article studies different stator structures and modeling methods for using grain-oriented electrical steels (GOES) to improve the performance of high-power-density permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). The magnetic characteristics of GOES samples are measured under magnetizations at different angles and frequencies. Models of various GOES stator teeth and yokes are established. The effects of different GOES stators on PMSM performance are studied, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. Three typical GOES PMSM prototypes are fabricated and tested to demonstrate the superiority of GOES stators and validate the effectiveness of the established models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors)
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21 pages, 4143 KB  
Article
Repetitive Fractional-Order Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
by Yi Zhao, Liang Guo, Jisong Zhang, Yu Zhou and Wenqi Lu
Machines 2026, 14(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14010070 - 6 Jan 2026
Viewed by 549
Abstract
In order to reduce the impact of various disturbances on the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) system especially during low-speed (0–300 rpm), this paper proposes a novel repetitive fractional-order active disturbance rejection control (RFO-ADRC) method. It combines repetitive control and fractional-order active disturbance [...] Read more.
In order to reduce the impact of various disturbances on the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) system especially during low-speed (0–300 rpm), this paper proposes a novel repetitive fractional-order active disturbance rejection control (RFO-ADRC) method. It combines repetitive control and fractional-order active disturbance rejection control (FO-ADRC) innovatively in an cascaded structure. Repetitive compensation is employed to handle the periodic disturbances arising from the structural characteristics of PMSM. FO-ADRC is employed to compensate for the residual aggregated disturbances. It novely replaces the nonlinear error feedback control (NLSEF) link in active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) with fractional-order control, and then incoportes an improved smooth function into the extended state observer (ESO), effectively reducing parameter adjustment complexity and mitigating inherent chattering. Finally, the proposed RFO-ADRC is validated on a 1.5 kW PMSM experimental platform and compared with PI, ADRC, and FO-ADRC. Experimental results show that RFO-ADRC achieves a start-up time of 0.36 s fastest, zero overshoot, a steady-state speed error within ±2.27 r/min lowest, a total harmonic distortion (THD) of 6.47% lowest, and a recovery time of 0.22 s under sudden load changes fastest, demonstrating superior performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors)
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16 pages, 5146 KB  
Article
Comparative Study of Dual-Stator Permanent Magnet Machines with Different PM Arrangements and Rotor Topologies for Aviation Electric Propulsion
by Minchen Zhu, Lijian Wu, Dongliang Liu, Yiming Shen, Rongdeng Li and Hui Wen
Machines 2025, 13(4), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13040273 - 26 Mar 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2813
Abstract
The dual-stator permanent magnet (DSPM) machine has proved to have high space utilization and a redundant structure, which can be beneficial to improving the fault tolerance and torque density performance. In this paper, three types of DSPM machines are proposed and compared, where [...] Read more.
The dual-stator permanent magnet (DSPM) machine has proved to have high space utilization and a redundant structure, which can be beneficial to improving the fault tolerance and torque density performance. In this paper, three types of DSPM machines are proposed and compared, where two sets of armature windings are wound in both inner/outer stators, producing more than one torque component compared with single-stator PM machines. The machine topology and operating principle of three DSPM machines are analyzed first. Next, feasible stator/rotor-pole number combinations are compared and determined. Furthermore, based on the finite-element (FE) method, both the electromagnetic performances of three DSPM machines under open-circuit and rated-load conditions after optimization are compared, aimed at generating maximum torque at fixed copper loss. The FE analyses indicate that the dual-stator consequent-pole permanent magnet (DSCPPM) machine generates maximum torque per PM volume, together with relatively high efficiency, which makes it a potentially hopeful candidate for low-speed and high-torque applications. In addition, a thermal analysis is carried out to confirm the validity of the design scheme. Finally, in order to verify the FE predictions, a prototype DSCPPM machine is manufactured and experimentally tested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors)
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25 pages, 9780 KB  
Article
Efficiency Optimization of PMSM-Type Elevator Machine: An Industrial Comparison
by Mucahit Soyaslan, Osman Eldogan, Ahmet Fenercioglu, Yusuf Avsar, Nurdogan Ceylan and Muhammed Salih Sarıkaya
Machines 2025, 13(3), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13030173 - 21 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3652
Abstract
This study presents the design, modeling, and prototyping of an external rotor permanent magnet synchronous motor (ER-PMSM) specifically for elevator traction systems. The external rotor design aims to surpass the efficiency of conventional inner rotor gearless elevator traction motors. A commercially available 4 [...] Read more.
This study presents the design, modeling, and prototyping of an external rotor permanent magnet synchronous motor (ER-PMSM) specifically for elevator traction systems. The external rotor design aims to surpass the efficiency of conventional inner rotor gearless elevator traction motors. A commercially available 4 kW inner rotor permanent magnet synchronous motor (IR-PMSM) was selected for comparative analysis. Critical parameters, including stator tooth tip thickness, slot tip radius, slot height, stator yoke height, stator tooth thickness, and the number of turns per phase, were optimized to enhance efficiency. The artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm was utilized for the first time to determine the optimal configuration of an external rotor PMSM. The prototype was fabricated and subjected to rigorous testing using a dedicated electrical motor test setup. Comparative results demonstrated a significant improvement in efficiency for the ER-PMSM over the IR-PMSM, with the efficiency increasing from 72.5% to 84.67% at nominal operating conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Performance Optimization and Application of Permanent Magnet Motors)
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