A Novel Dual-Stator Vernier Permanent Magnet Machine

Vernier permanent magnet (VPM) machines for direct-drive applications are receiving more and more attention due to its small pulsating torque, high torque density at low rotation speed. This paper proposes a novel VPM machine, which has two stators and a sandwiched rotor. The outer stator is a conventional stator with three-phase windings and semi-closed slots, and the inner stator has an iron core and PMs mounted on the surface of it. The rotor has a consequent-pole structure with Halbach-array PMs. In this paper, the operation principles and the feasible slot-pole combinations of the proposed machine are analyzed. Moreover, to verify the superior performances of the proposed VPM machine, it is compared with a regular VPM machine in terms of back electromotive force, average torque, pulsating torque, power factor, efficiency, and overload capabilities. It shows that the proposed machine has higher torque density, larger efficiency, and lower cogging torque.