Modeling and Experimental Verification of Torque Ripple in Permanent Magnetic DC Motors

In this paper we have developed a simple parametric model based on motor geometries to estimate the torque ripple in permanent-magnet DC (PMDC) motors. Torque ripple is the combined results of many different motor design parameters such as magnetic material properties and geometry as well as rotor slot geometry. As the PMDC motors are being used in more precision applications while being produced at a lower price, the effect of torque ripple is becoming an important issued for precision motion control. The main objective of this study is to identify motor parameters that affect the magnitude of the torque ripples as well as developing a cost effective measuring device for motor vendors. The analytical model focused on the effect of air gap volume on effective magnetic flux and in terms impact the torque generation. The effectiveness of the proposed model was verified by experimental data collected with motors from four large volume motor vendors that meets the same design specification. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to identify the key motor parameters that impacted the magnitude of the torque ripple.