Rotor Slots Design of Induction Machine for
Hybrid Electric Vehicle Drives
Cui Shumei, Dai Ying, Song Liwei
Abstract-Rotor slot design of the induction motor for hybrid
electric vehicle drives is investigated in the paper. Rotor slot
types of the induction machine for variable frequency drives are
deferent from that of the induction machine for industry
applications. Improper rotor slot design will lead to bad torque
performance and unwished noise of the induction machine.
Three common rotor slot types of the induction machine for
variable frequency drives are analyzed. The advantages and
disadvantages of them are indicated. Comparing torque and
efficiency of deferent rotor slot shapes, the optimal value is
obtained by finite element analysis. The influence of the slot
combination on the noise of the induction machine is analyzed.
Magnitudes and frequencies of primary electromagnetic force
modes of a sample induction machine is calculated by the finite
element analysis. Vibration magnitudes of the stator and the
sound power levels of the electromagnetic noise are estimated.
Experiment of the sample induction machine is done to prove the
analysis.
Keywords-induction machine, noise, rotor slot, torque
I. INTRODUCTION
lectric vehicles (EV) are going to be developed in recent
years in China, especially for the hybrid electric vehicles
which are given the highest priority. Automobile companies in
China have paid great attentions to EV. FAW had developed
'Liberation' hybrid electric bus during 2002>2005. Harbin
Institute of technology had developed 20kW/40kW, 30/60kW
and 4OkW/8OkW induction machines for Liberation hybrid
electric bus drives. The specifications of the 4OkW/8OkW
sample induction machine are as follows: rated power: 40kW,
maximum power: 80kW, base speed: 3600rpm, operating
speed range: 0-6000rpm.
Operating environments and control requirements of the
electric machines for EV drives are deferent from that of the
traditional electric machines. Ideal torque-speed characteristic
of the EV traction motor is constant-torque operation below
base speed and constant-power operation above base speed.
Low vibration/ noise and high efficiency are also important
for the EV drives. During the induction machine design, it is
found that the type, shape and number of rotor slots have great
influence on these characteristics. If these parameters are not
designed properly, the induction machine will have torque12
decline phenomenon during high speed operation and big
vibration/noise. Therefore, it is important to optimize these
parameters.
It is analyzed that the influence of rotor slot type, rotor slot
1-4244-01 59-3/06/$20.00 ©2006 IEEE
shape and rotor slot number on the efficiency, torque
performance and electromagnetic noise. The rotor slots of the
induction machine are optimized for the FAW hybrid electric
bus drives.
II. INFLUENCES oF RoToR SLoTs DESIGN oN ToRQuE
PERFORMANCEANDEFFICIENCY
Rotor slot type influences the distribution of the magnetic
field to a degree. Even a little deference of the magnetic field
distribution can make big deference on the performance of the
induction machine. Fig.1 is three rotor slot types of the
induction machine which is in common use for the variable
frequency drives. Torque performance and efficiency of the
three rotor slot types are compared in the paper. Normally, the
efficiency of slot type (b) is the best, and the torque of the slot
type (c) is the biggest.
Fig. 1. Rotorslottypesincommonuseforvariablefrequencydrives.
It should be noticed that the performance differences of the
three rotor slot types may be big or small; it also depends on
the design parameters.
For the 40kW sample machine, the biggest efficiency
deference between type (a) and type (c) is no more than 0.4%,
but the biggest deference of output torque between a-type and
c-type is more than 7 Nm. So the type (c) is chosen for the
optimal rotor slot type for the 40kW sample machine. Fig.2 is
the peak working characteristics of the three rotor slot types.
The maximum torque of the rotor slot type (c) is the biggest,
especially 1 1
220
a ype
200 b type
180
160
140
100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
se"lll
Fig. 2. Peak working characteristics of three rotor slot types
For the same rotor slots area, the rotor slot can be designed
fat-short or high-thin. By the adoption of Variable Frequency
Inverters, the rotor design does not need to consider the vibration and noise [6].
starting performance. The rotor slot can be designed fat-short The air gap harmonic flux densities of the three slot
to reduce the skin effects and slot leakage flux in order to combinations(stator36/rotor34, stator36/rotor30, stator36/rotor
increase the torque and efficiency [1]. 26) are computed and compared by the finite element method
Fig.3 and fig.4 is the torque and efficiency-rotor slot and FFT.
length/width (slot length divide slot width) curves of the Fig.5 is the air gap harmonic flux densities comparison of
40kW sample machine. When the ratio of slot length to slot the three slot combinations at the speed of 3600rpm. The
width is 2.5, the output torque and the efficiency of the sample harmonic content of the 36/34 combination is the biggest,
machine are optimal. The short fat slot shape is the optimal especially the tooth harmonic (stator tooth harmonics: 17, 19,
choice for the variable frequency driving induction machine, 35, 37; rotor tooth harmonics: 16, 18, 33, and 35). The 12 and
but the rotor tooth pitch should also be considered, too small 14 rotor tooth harmonics are big. Comparing the harmonic
rotor tooth pitch will influence the magnetic field distribution contents of the air gap flux densities, the slot combination
and induce sat- 367'- '
209 j0. 96
output torqlue 0.96
0.4
208.5 effieieny 0_94
208 j 5 0. 35
207.5 0
0 32
0.25-~
207 23 2 9
2() 1\ J < (rz .2z l26slots 30slots 34slots
206.5 0.88 T 0.2
206 1
0. 860. 15
205. 5

252. 1 2. 3 2. 5 2. 7 2. 9 840.05 -aLIE

0
139
Fig. 3. Torque
0.96
3600 rpm.
~~~12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40
138.5 / Harmonic order
t'138 - 034
137.5
5+:0 .-------------~~~~~ 0.i2 Fig. 5. Main harmonic contents of the air gap flux densities comparison of
136.5 . _ . / \ 04three slot combinations.
135 effieien8 A. Influe ces ofslot combination on torque performance
134345
134 0.84
0.84 Fig.6 is the torque waveforms of the three slot combinations
2.17 2.37 2.57 2.77 2.97 at the speed of 4200rpm. Torque ripples of the 36/34 and
slot height/slot width
36/26 slot co
Fig. 4. Torque/efficiency-slot length/width curves at speed of 5200 rpm. 260
205 36/34 36/30 36/26
III. INFLUENCES OF SLOT COMBINATION ON VIBRATION, 200

NOISE AND TORQUE PERFORMANCE 195

Slot combination of the squirrel cage induction machine is 185)

important. It influences the vibration, noise and torque 180
performance of the induction machine. 175
When the rotor slot number is deferent, the harmonic 170
contents of the magnetic field induced by the same stator 165 0 0. 01 0. 02 0. 03 0.04
magnetic field are deferent, so the harmonic compound time(s)
magnetic fields of the air gap are deferent. The harmonic Fig. 6. Torque waveforms of three slot combinations at speed of 4200 rpm.
content of the air gap magnetic field directly influence the The slot combination which the harmonic contents of the
torque performance, vibration and noise. If some harmonic air gap flux densities is the smallest is the best choice for
magnetic field contents are too big especially the rotor slot reduce torque ripple.
harmonics, the asynchronous and synchronous harmonic B. Influences ofslot combination on vibration and noise
torques will be too big and the starting performance will The two aspects which have great influence on the noise
getting worse even adopting the variable frequency inverter and vibration are the exciting force and natural frequency of
[3,4,5]. the stator. When the frequency of the exciting forces is near
If the induced air gap harmonic flux density of the rotor the natural frequency of the stator, great noise and vibration
magnetic field is too big, the product of the rotor harmonic are produced.
flux density and the corresponding stator harmonic flux For the variable speed motor, the noise and vibration
density will be big enough to produce big magnitude of the problem is more important, because the frequencies of the
exciting force and may induce big electromagnetic vibration exciting forces change with the rotor speed. The frequency
and noise [6]. range depends on the operating speed range. if the stator
For small sized electric machine, mode numbers which are natural frequency is in the frequency range of the exciting
no more than 6 is the main source of the electromagnetic forces or near the edges of the range, noise and vibration
 problem will be induced. Considering vibration, noise and torque ripple, the optimal
During performance test of the slot combination 36/34 slot combination is 36/30.
sample machine, the electromagnetic noise increase suddenly
during the operating speed of 20OOrpm-30OOrpm. In order to IV. EXPERIMENT
analyze this phenomenon, the frequency range of the The performances of the sample machine are tested to
exciting forces and the natural frequency of the stator are validate the analysis. Fig.8 and Fig.9 are the generating
computed by the finite element method. efficiency and driving efficiency maps of the sample induction
Fig.7 is the finiteE-h-m-nt
mc ltdl r)fth- ,tator. machine. Fig.10 is maximum operation curves of the
experiment and the simulation. The two curves are very close,
and itproves th-

Fig. 7. Finite element analysis model for stator natural frequency

calculation.
Table I is the calculation results of the stator natural Fig. 8. C machine.
frequencies of the mode number which is no more than 6.
The natural frequency of the mode number 0 and mode
number 4 is more than 4000Hz which the ear of us is not
sensitive, so the most dangerous mode number is -2 and 2.
TABLE I
NATURAL tI RVENCIES OF THE STATOR

IMde niiwber Natural frequency(Hz)

1098

0- 7140 Fig. 9. achine.

25 0
....

2 i~~~~09820
2 i~~~~098 5

4 A - ~ )A 1 100
experiment result
simulation result
The mode number -2 and 2 of the exciting force is 50
computed by the finite element method and FFT. Actually, the 0
magnitude of the -2 and 2 mode exciting force is very big at 0 1000 2000 3000
Speed(rpm)
4000 5000 6000
the full load operation. Table II is the frequency range and the
Fig. 10. Experiment and simulation result comparisons of Peak working
magnitude at full load operation of the exciting forces. characteristics
TABLE II
- iREQUENCY RAT GE OF THE EXCITE G FORCES AND RESp NACE SPEED
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R

I I l l l
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