Benefits of Cut-Off Barriers in Synchronous Reluctance Motors, Multi-Objective Comparison Based on Wide Design-Space Exploration

This study investigates the benefits of adding a cut-off barrier to the design space of synchronous reluctance machines. The design space is explored using quasi-Monte Carlo sampling and a number of objectives are evaluated using Finite Element Method. Results show that rotors with a cut-off barrier tend to have higher mean torque and lower iron losses, while rotors without cut-off barrier tend to have slightly lower Von Mises stresses, lower torque ripple, and higher sensorless capability. When several objectives are involved, such as maximizing mean torque and the sensorless capability at the same time, then the best performing topology depends on the trade-off put between the objectives. It is shown that the location of the switching point, where one topology becomes better than the other, can be obtained accurately using inexpensive metamodels. Hence, the proposed method can be used to quickly select the best performing topology for many sets of objectives without performing costly optimizations.