The 22nd Iranian Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEE 2014), May 20-22, 2014, Shahid Beheshti University

Effect of pole embrace on the cogging torque and

unbalanced magnetic forces of BLDC motors
M.Sargazi M.esmaili M.Jafarboland M.khajavi
Department of Electrical Department of Electrical Department of Electrical Department of electrical
Engineering, Malek Ashtar Engineering, Malek Ashtar Engineering, Malek Ashtar engineering, Malek Ashtar
University of Technology, University of Technology, University of Technology, University of Technology,
Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, Iran. Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, Iran. Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, Iran. Shahin Shahr, Isfahan, Iran.
Email: Email: Email:.
Mms.mut@gmail.com Mohammadesmaili2006@yaho Email: Khajavi.m63@gmail.com
o.com J_mehrdad405@hotmail.com

Abstract One of the important objects in Submarines is reducing or
eliminating acoustic noise, where results Submarines hidden from
scopes of enemies. BLDC motors are used in submarines, and
Cogging torque and unbalanced magnetic forces in BLDC motors are
important source of acoustic noise. This paper is a study on the
Cogging torque for BLDC motors, with 14 poles and 12 slots.
Cogging torque is calculated for various pole embrace by using the
finite element method (FEM). The results show that there is optimal
pole embrace for minimizing Cogging torque. Unbalanced magnetic
forces are introduced by eccentricity between stator and rotor during
magnetic process, this paper investigates effect of Pole embrace on
the unbalanced magnetic force when rotor eccentricity exists.
Keywords- Brushless dc motor, Cogging torque, Unbalanced
magnetic force, Pole embrace, Submarine.
are change in BLDCM with 14 poles and 12 slots using finite
element method (FEM) in MAXWELL 14.
II. COGGING TORQUE
Cogging torque describes the desire of the permanent magnets
on the rotor to align with a maximum amount of ferromagnetic
material. Cogging torque in integral motors has greater than
the fractional slot motors. There are number of ways to
minimize Cogging torque, such as skewing the rotor magnets,
or stator slots, identifying optimal slot angle.
To identify cogging torque we describe the kth stator tooth
as Fourier series.
1

Where
I. INTRODUCTION : Fourier series coefficients.
BLDC motors are popular in submarines, because of Angle in electrical measure.
BLDCM has great torque to volume rate, high efficiently, high Slot pitch in electrical measure.
reliability because there is no shoes in motor, but cogging The net Cogging torque is sum of the Cogging torque of each
torque which is produced as a result of interaction between tooth of the motor.
permanent magnets and slots, and unbalanced magnetic forces
that introduced during manufacturing process are responsible 2
for vibration sources for motors. Effect of magnetic forces
cause a series problem when the frequency of these forces are From substituting 1 in 2 and simplifying we have:
match with one or more of the mechanical or structural
resonant frequencies in the motor [1]. Because of mechanical 3
coupling rotor with submarine, these forces are increased with
eccentricity in rotor structure.
There are numeral methods for reducing cogging torque 4
and unbalanced magnetic forces; Taeyoungyoon introduced an
optimal slot angle that reduced cogging torque, but shows that Where in electrical measure.
for reducing unbalanced magnetic forces the slot angle needs By simplifying equation 4 is:
to be as small as possible [2]. Lio and Colleagues developed an ,
analytical expression to calculate Cogging torque using the 2- 5
dimensional field equations [3]. Hartman and Lorimer
proposed various methods to reduce cogging torque including 0
Where lcm(x,y) is the least common multiple of its arguments,
adjustment of the slot width [4]. Hwang and colleagues
and q is a nonzero integer that results integer n.
examined symmetric and asymmetric BLDC motors with
From the equation 5 Cogging torque harmonics are zero for
eccentricity and showed that an asymmetric BLDC motor has
small cogging torque when there is no eccentricity but it witch is zero. Based on the above equation the fundamental
,
increases as eccentricity is introduced [5]. This paper shows harmonic of Cogging torque is multiple of electrical
how cogging torque and magnetic forces vary as pole embrace frequency of motor. For the case of 14 poles and 12 slots the
fundamental harmonics of Cogging torque is 6f.

978-1-4799-4409-5/14/$31.00 2014 IEEE 826

 ANSOFT
0.03
Curve Info

III. EFFECT OF POLE EMBRACE ON COGGING Coggi ng T orque

TORQUE 0.01

The cross section of a BLDC motor with out-runner structure

(N.m)
0.00
is shown in fig3. The motor has considered in this study has
12 slots and 14 poles. The approach used in this paper -0.01

involved the use of a two-dimensional finite element package

(MAXWELL 14). -0.03
0.00 125.00 250.00 375.00

The field problem was made two dimensional by neglecting Electric Degree

Figure2: cogging torque for motor with o.74 pole embrace

any end effects. This assumption might affect the magnitude Table 2 shows the cogging torque for various pole embrace; in
of the torque in a short rotor, but is not expected to have motors have 14 poles and 12 slots.
significant influence on its variation with angle of rotation. [6]
Table 2: effect of pole embrace on cogging torque
Pole embrace Cogging torque
Pole
0.68 0.0295
0.7 0.028
0.72 0.026
0.74 0.02086
0.76 0.02066
0.78 0.0251
0.8 0.02557
Figure1: Cross sectional a 14 poles motor with out-runner structure
The specifications of the motor were considered here are shown in table 1. The result shows that in order to reduce cogging torque we
need to choose pole embrace near the 0.74.
Table 1: some specifications of the motor
Power 5 kw IV. UNBALANCED MAGNETIC FORCES
Torque 5.9683 N.m The mechanism of unbalanced magnetic forces arising in
BLDC motors is explained in [7] and [8]. Figure 3 shows the
Number of 2-D (FE) model of an-14 poles and 12-slots BLDC motor used
14
poles for calculation of magnetic forces.
Number of
12
slots
Nominal
69.44
current
Outer rotor
111.177 mm
diameter
Inner rotor
100.297 mm
diameter
Height of
45 mm Figure 3: 2-D finite element model of a BLDC motors with 14 poles and 12
motor slots
Since the BLDC motor considered here has 14 poles, each
Pole embrace is the ratio of the pole width to rotor poles of permanent magnet spans 25.7143 degree. Unbalanced
circumference. The cogging torque in figure 2 was obtained magnetic force exists as long as there is eccentricity between
for motor which have 0.74 pole embrace. the rotor and stator, because a portion of the stator is closer to
the permanent magnet of the rotor, thus generating a net
attraction force acting on the rotor [2]. For the eccentric rotor
harmonics of the unbalanced magnetic forces are
1 where is the number of slots in the stator, is a positive
integer and X denotes the rotational frequency of the motor.
For the case of motor with 14 poles and 12 slots, this

827
 XY Plot 2
harmonics are 1X, 11X, 13X, etc. Figures 4, 5 shows the
Maxwell2DDesign12 ANSOFT

0.75 Curve Info

Force1.Force_y
Setup1 : Transient

unbalanced magnetic forces as a function of rotor position in

0.50

0.25

motor with 14 poles and 12 slots, and Fx, Fy denotes direction

Force1.Force_y [kNewton]
0.00

of forces in x and y directions, respectively.. In the simulation -0.25

-0.50

20% of the air gap assumed for the eccenttricity. The figure -0.75

shows that theFx, Fy repeat every 360 degreee, which means the -1.00

fundamental frequency is 1X. it can be noticced that the higher -1.25

-1.50

harmonics, appearing as the bumps in the figgures, which come 0.00 125.00
ng1.Position [deg]
Movin
250.00 360.00

Figure 7: Fy withh 0.8 pole embrace

from the effect of slots on the forces. 1.25
XY Plot 1 Maxwell2DDesign11
Curve Info
ANSOFT

Force1.Force_x
Setup1 : Transient
1.00
XY Plot 5 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT

1.50 0.75

Force1.Force_x [kNewton]
Curve Info
Force1.Force_x
Setup1 : Transient 0.50

1.00 0.25

0.00
0.50
-0.25
F x [k N e w to n ]

-0.50
0.00
-0.75

-1.00
-0.50 0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
g1.Position [deg]
Moving

Figure 8: Fx with 0.78 pole embrace

-1.00 XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign11 ANSOFT

0.75 Curve Info

Force1.Force_y
Setup1 : Transient
-1.50 0.50
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
Moving1.Position [deg]

Figure 4: Unbalanced magnetic forces in X direction 0.25

F o rc e 1 .F o rc e _ y [k N e w to n ]
0.00

-0.25

-0.50

-0.75

-1.00

-1.25

-1.50
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
Movingg1.Position [deg]
Figure 9: Fy with 0.78 pole embrace
Figure 5: Unbalanced magnetic forces in Y direction 1.25
XY Plot 1 Maxwell2DDesign10
Curve Info
ANSOFT

Force1.Force_x
Setup1 : Transient
1.00

V. EFFECT OF POLE EMBRACE ON UNBALANCEDU 0.75

Force1.Force_x [kNewton]

MAGNETIC FORCES 0.50

Section V shows that the frequency contennt of the magnetic 0.25

forces come from slots in the stator. This section developed

0.00

-0.25
effect of pole embrace on unbalanced maagnetic forces. To -0.50

calculate and simulation, pole embrace varyy from 0.68 to 0.8 -0.75

with 0.02 of increment. Since the purpose of

o this paper is to -1.00
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
Moving
g1.Position [deg]
compare the effect of pole embrace on unbbalanced magnetic Figure 10: Fx withh 0.76 pole embrace
forces, sinusoidal magnetization will be used
u in the FEM 0.75
XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign10
Curve Info
ANSOFT

Force1.Force_y

simulation as the common magnetizationn pattern of the

Setup1 : Transient
0.50

permanent magnets. Figure 6 to 19 show ws the unbalanced

0.25
Force1.Force_y [kNewton]

0.00
magnetic forces in the X and Y directionn for various pole -0.25

embrace. -0.50

-0.75

XY Plot 1 Maxwell2DDesign12 ANSOFT -1.00

1.50 Curve Info
Force1.Force_x
Setup1 : Transient -1.25

1.00 -1.50
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
g1.Position [deg]
Moving
Force1.Force_x [kNewton]

0.50 Figure 11: Fy withh 0.76 pole embrace

XY Plot 1 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT

1.00 Curve Info

Force1.Force_y
0.00 Setup1 : Transient

0.50
-0.50
Fy [kNewton]

0.00
-1.00
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
Moving1.Position [deg]

Figure6: Fx with 0.8 pole embraace -0.50

-1.00

-1.50
19.49 144.49 269.49 360.00
Moving
g1.Position [deg]
Figure12: Fy withh 0.74 pole embrace

828
 XY Plot 5 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign9 ANSOFT

1.50 Curve Info 0.75 Curve Info

Force1.Force_x Force1.Force_y
Setup1 : Transient Setup1 : Transient
0.50
1.00
0.25

Force1.Force_y [kNewton]
0.50 0.00
Fx [kNewton]

-0.25
0.00
-0.50

-0.50 -0.75

-1.00
-1.00
-1.25

-1.50 -1.50
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00 0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
Moving1.Position [deg] Moving1.Position [deg]

Figure 13: Fx with 0.74 pole embrace Figure 19: Fy with 0.68 pole embrace
XY Plot 1
The figures shows that unbalanced magnetic forces in x and y
Maxwell2DDesign7 ANSOFT

1.25 Curve Info

Force1.Force_x

1.00
Setup1 : Transient
direction are decreasing as the pole embrace decreases. From
0.75
the figure for reducing unbalanced magnetic forces the pole
F o rc e 1 .F o rc e _ x [k N e w to n ]

0.50
embrace need to be as small as possible.
0.25
For verifying harmonic components of the unbalanced
0.00
magnetic forces and effect of pole embrace on the harmonics
-0.25

-0.50
figure 20 to 28 shows the harmonic components of the
-0.75
unbalanced magnetic forces in x and y direction for 0.68, 0.74
-1.00
and 0.8 pole embrace.
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00 FFT XY Plot 3 Maxwell2DDesign9 ANSOFT

Moving1.Position [deg] 600.00 Curve Info

Figure 14: Fx with 0.72 pole embrace

FFT Force1.Force_x
Imported

XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign7 ANSOFT

500.00
0.75 Curve Inf o
Force1.Force_y

FFT Force1.Force_x
Setup1 : Transient
0.50 400.00

0.25
Force1.Force_y [kNewton]

300.00
0.00

-0.25 200.00

-0.50
100.00
-0.75

-1.00 0.00
0.00 1000.00 2000.00 3000.00 4000.00 5000.00
-1.25 FFT Time

-1.50
Figure 20: FFT on Fx with 0.68 pole embrace
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00 FFT XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign9 ANSOFT

Moving1.Position [deg] 600.00 Curve Info

Figure 15:Fy with 0.72 pole embrace FFT Force1.Force_y

Imported

XY Plot 1 Maxwell2DDesign8 ANSOFT 500.00

1.25 Curve Info
Force1.Force_x
FFT Force1.Force_y

Setup1 : Transient
1.00 400.00

0.75
F orce1.F orce_x [kNewton]

300.00
0.50
200.00
0.25

0.00 100.00

-0.25
0.00
0.00 1000.00 2000.00 3000.00 4000.00 5000.00
-0.50 FFT Time

-0.75 Figure 20: FFT on Fy with 0.68 pole embrace

FFT XY Plot 6 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT
700.00
-1.00 Curve Info

0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00 FFT Force1.Force_x

Imported
Moving1.Position [deg] 600.00

Figure 16: Fx with 0.7 pole embrace

XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign8 ANSOFT
500.00

0.75 Curve Info

FFT Force1.Force_x

Force1.Force_y
Setup1 : Transient 400.00
0.50

0.25 300.00
Force1.Force_y [kNewton]

0.00 200.00

-0.25
100.00

-0.50
0.00
-0.75 0.00 1000.00 2000.00 3000.00 4000.00 5000.00
FFT Time
-1.00 Figure 21: FFT on Fx with 0.74 pole embrace
-1.25 FFT XY Plot 7 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT

700.00 Curve Inf o

FFT Force1.Force_y
-1.50 Imported
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00 600.00
Moving1.Position [deg]

Figure 17: Fy with 0.7 pole embrace 500.00

FFT Force1.Force_y

XY Plot 1 Maxwell2DDesign9 ANSOFT

1.25 Curve Info

Force1.Force_x
400.00
Setup1 : Transient
1.00
300.00
0.75
Force1.Force_x [kNewton]

200.00
0.50

0.25 100.00

0.00 0.00
0.00 1000.00 2000.00 3000.00 4000.00 5000.00
-0.25 FFT Time

-0.50
Figure 23: FFT on Fy with 0.74 pole embrace
-0.75

-1.00
0.00 125.00 250.00 360.00
Moving1.Position [deg]

Figure 18: Fx with 0.68 pole embrace

829
 FFT XY Plot 1
unbalanced magnetic forces and cogging torque, cannot be
Maxwell2DDesign12 ANSOFT

750.00 Curve Inf o

FFT Force1.Force_x
Imported

625.00 achieved by adjusting pole embrace.

References
FFT Force1.Force_x

500.00

375.00
[1] B. S. Rahman and D. K. Lieu, The origin of permanent magnet
inducedvibration in electric machines, ASME, J. Vibration and
250.00
Acoustics, vol.113, no. 4, pp. 476481, 1991.
125.00
[2] Taeyong Yoon,Magnetically Induced Vibration in a Permanent-
0.00
0.00 1000.00 2000.00 3000.00 4000.00 5000.00
Magnet Brushless DC Motor With Symmetric Pole-Slot Configuration,
FFT Time

Figure 22: FFT on Fx with 0.8 pole embrace in IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 41, NO. 6, JUNE
700.00
FFT XY Plot 2 Maxwell2DDesign12
Curve Info
ANSOFT
2005.
[3] Z. J. Liu, C. Bio, and T. S. Low, Prediction of cogging torque
FFT Force1.Force_y
Imported

600.00

500.00
developedin permanent magnet dc motors used for hard disk, in Proc.
FFT Force1.Force_y

25th Annu.Symp. IMCSD, Jun. 1996, pp. 147152.

400.00
[4] Cogging torque control in brushless dc motors, in Proc. 29thAnnu.
300.00
Symp. IMCSD, Jul. 2000, pp. 237244.
200.00
[5] S. Hwang, J. Kim, W. Jeong, Y. Jung, and B. Kang, Comparison of
100.00
vibrationsources between symmetric and asymmetric HDD spindle
0.00
0.00 1000.00 2000.00
FFT Time
3000.00 4000.00 5000.00 motorswith rotor eccentricity, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. 37, no. 6,
Figure 23: FFT on Fy with 0.8 pole embrace pp.17271731, Nov./Dec. 2001.
From the above figure dc components exist in Fx and Fy, and [6] Kyung-Tae Kim, Kwang-Suk Kim, Sang-Moon Hwang, Tae-Jong
dc components of Fx are smaller than dc components of Fy. Kim, and Yoong-Ho Jung, Comparison of Magnetic Forces for IPM
We see that dc components of Fx increases as pole embrace and SPMMotor with Rotor Eccentricity, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON
increases. Another results of the figure is that dc components MAGNETICS, VOL. 37, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER 2001.
of Fy has smaller values in optimom pole embrace. We see [7] W. Lorimer and A. Hartman, Magnetically-induced vibration
inbrushless dc motors, in Proc. 28th Annu.Symp. IMCSD, Jul. 1999,
that higher harmonic components in Fx decreases as the pole
pp.299308.
embrace decreases. Figures 21, 23, 25 shows that higher [8] Hartman andW.Lorimer, Undriven vibrations in brushless DC
harmonic components of the Fy decreases as pole embrace motors,IEEE Trans. Magn., vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 789792, Mar. 2001.
increases. From the figures unbalanced magnetic forces are
increases as the pole embrace increases.
XY Plot 7 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT

1.00
solid lines: 0.74
embrace
shortdot: 0.8
embrace
0.50 shortdash: 0.7
embrace
dotshortdash:0.68
embrace
dash: 0.72
embrace
Y1 [kNewton]

0.00 dotdash: 0.76

embrace
dotdot: 0.78
embrace
-0.50

-1.00

-1.50
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
Time [ms]
Figure 24: Fy for various pole embrace
XY Plot 6 Maxwell2DDesign6 ANSOFT

1.50
solid lines: 0.74
embrace
shortdot: 0.7
embrace
1.00 shortdash: 0.8
embrace
dotshortdash:0.68
embrace
0.50 dash: 0.72
embrace
Y1 [kNewton]

dotdash: 0.76
embrace
0.00 dotdot: 0.78
embrace

-0.50

-1.00

-1.50
0.00 1.25 2.50 3.75 5.00 6.25 7.50 8.75
Time [ms]

Figure 25:Fx for various pole embrace

VI. CONCLUSION

The characteristics of the cogging torque and unbalanced

magnetic forces in the case of eccentric rotor of BLDCM with
14 poles and 12 slots for various poles embrace using FEM
verified. From the results, we turned out that for minimizing
cogging torque, pole embrace must be 0.74, and for reduction
of unbalanced magnetic forces the pole embrace needs to be as
small as possible, which means minimizing of both

830