Analytical Design of Axial-Flux Induction Motors

In this paper, two-dimensional (2D) analytical model is proposed for axial-flux induction motor (AFIMs) based on the solution of magnetic vector potential equations, which also considers the saturation's effect on the performance of the machine. The model is developed from the quasi-magneto-static Maxwell's equations, which are analytically solved. It considers a uniform distribution of current density in the rectangular shaped rotor/stator slots. By computing the magnetic energy of the machine, this method obtains the inductances and uses them to assess the design performance parameters. The accuracy of the 2-D analytical solutions is verified against those obtained from the finite element method (FEM). The suggested model is generic and applicable to AFIMs with any number of poles and phases. A case study on optimization axial-flux induction motor is presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed model. The proposed method can replace the FEM in designing and optimization of the AFIMs.