Investigation of Unbalanced Magnetic Force in Magnetic Geared Machine Using Analytical Methods

The electromagnetic structure of the magnetic geared machine (MGM) may induce a significant unbalanced magnetic force (UMF). However, few methods have been developed to theoretically reveal the essential reasons for this issue in the MGM. In this paper, an analytical method based on an air-gap relative permeance theory is first developed to qualitatively study the origins of the UMF in the MGM. By means of formula derivations, three kinds of magnetic field behaviors in the air gaps are found to be the potential sources of UMF. It is also proved that the UMF is possible to avoid by design choices. Second, the magnetic field distribution in the MGM is modeled by an exact subdomain method, which allows the magnetic forces to be calculated quantitatively. The magnetic forces in two MGMs are then studied under no-load and full-load conditions. Finally, the finite-element calculation confirms the results achieved by the developed analytical methods.