Mechanical Stress in Rotors of Permanent Magnet Machines—Comparison of Different Determination Methods

In this work, different analytical methods for calculating the mechanical stresses in the rotors of permanent magnet machines are presented. The focus is on interior permanent magnet machines. First, an overview of eight different methods from the literature is given. Specific differences are pointed out, and a brief summary of the analytical approach for each method is provided. For reference purposes, a finite element model is created and simulated for each rotor geometry studied. A total of seven rotors rom representative automotive powertrains are considered in their specific speed range. The analytical methods are used to determine the maximum mechanical stress concentration factors for the seven rotor geometries, in which we are determined to find maximum mechanical stress as a final step of the analytical process. For each geometry and each respective operating speed range, the deviations from the finite element reference are determined. In addition, the error in the selected geometry variations is evaluated. A recommendation for the method with the lowest error considering all cases studied is given specifically for the stress in the airgap bridge and the central bridge.