HS-4600: Motor Design Optimization for Ripple Torque Reduction

This tutorial is centered around a synchronous permanent magnet motor designed with Altair FluxMotor tool. The goal of this tutorial is to achieve an optimal magnet shape to minimize the ripple torque at a specific working point while maintaining the torque reached at this working point and without increasing the magnet mass.

Before you begin, copy the model files used in this tutorial from <hst.zip>/HS-4600/ to your working directory.
Figure 1. Synchronous Permanent Magnet Machine

Perform the Study Setup

  1. Start HyperStudy.
  2. Start a new study in the following ways:
    • From the menu bar, click File > New.
    • On the ribbon, click .
  3. In the Add Study dialog, enter a study name, select a location for the study, and click OK.
  4. Go to the Define Models step.
  5. Add a FluxMotor connection.
    1. In the Define Models tab, select Add Model.
    2. In the Add dialog, select FluxMotor and click OK.
    The FluxMotor model is created and a FluxMotor solver script is automatically populated.
  6. Specify the path for the FluxMotor solver script.
    1. From the Define Models step, click the Solver Execution Script cell and select Register new Solver from the drop-down menu.
    2. In the Register Solver Script dialog, click in the Path cell.
    3. Specify the path for the FluxMotor solver script as ..\AltairFluxMotor2020.1\Scripts\win\FluxMotors.exe.
    4. Click OK.


    Figure 2.
  7. Establish resource file.
    1. In the Resource column, click .
    2. In the HyperStudy - Load model resource dialog, select HstConnector.fm2hst and click OK.
  8. Click Import Variables.
  9. Go to the Define Input Variables step.
    1. In the Bounds tab, edit the Lower Bound and Upper Bound as shown below.
      Label Lower Bound Upper Bound
      Magnet::TM (mm) 2 10
      Magnet::CM (deg) 161.91 179.9
      Magnet::R (mm) 70 89.2


      Figure 3.
  10. Go to the Test Models step and click Run Definition.
  11. Go to the Define Output Responses step.
  12. Go to the Objectives/Constraints - Goals tab and define the following goals:
    Apply On Type Column 1 Column 2
    Ripple torque::Ripple mech. torque, pk-pk (N.m) (r_3) Minimize N/A N/A
    Masses::Rotor::Magnets (kg) (r_1) Constraint <= 2.5
    Working point::Mechanical torque (N.m) (r_2) Constraint >= 174


    Figure 4.

Perform Optimization

  1. Add an Optimization.
    1. In the Explorer, right-click and select Add from the context menu.
    2. In the Add dialog, select Optimization and click OK.
    Tip: When the Definition from field in the Add dialog is set to Setup, the variables and goals defined in the Setup will be automatically populated in the Optimization approach. As a result, you can skip the Definition step.
  2. Go to the Specifications step.
  3. Select Global Response Search Method (GRSM) and click Apply.
  4. Go to the Evaluate step and click Evaluate Tasks.
    Tip: Use the Iteration History tab to observe the optimization progress in real time.
  5. Optional: Open the Iteration History tab and observe the optimum solution.


    Figure 5.
The ripple torque is significantly reduced compared to the initial design while the constraints are met.