Evaluation of a 6 pole axial flux PM motor for Control Moment Gyroscope Application

In a previous study a compact Control Moment Gyroscope (GMC) design, based on a 6-pole, axial flux (AF) motor was presented. The GMC design in that proposal was based on analytical expressions and naturally 3-D structure of the AF motor could not be fully taken into account. In this paper the designed motor is simulated using 3-D FEM solutions. The parameters of the design such as electric loading and current loading as well as the performance of the design such as phase current and the torque produced at 10000 rpm are determined in a more realistic environment. The results indicate that the adopted analytical design approach is suitable for the design of the CMC motor. However, improvements are needed in the design methodology to reduce torque ripple and take into account the effect of the drive conditions in the operating environment.