PMSM motor Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor is a type of Permanent Magnet Motor

widely used in Electric vehicles. PMSM motors are up to 15 percent more efficient than Induction
motors and are the most power-dense type of traction motors.

The latest PMSM motors are being used in today’s Electric vehicles (EV) and Hybrid Electric
Vehicles (HEV).

Main Components of Electric Vehicles:

Parts of Electric Vehicle

Traction Battery Pack

Working Principle of Electric Vehicles:

The power for the electric motor PMSM is converted from the DC Battery to AC via DC to DC
converter and Inverter. As the accelerator is pressed, a signal is sent to the controller.
The Controller adjusts the speed of the vehicle by changing the frequency of the AC power from
the inverter to the motor.

Electric Vehicle Working

With the controller set, the inverter then sends a certain amount of electrical energy to the motor
(according to the depth of pressure on the pedal) Electric motor converts electrical energy into
mechanical energy. Rotation of the motor rotor rotates the transmission so the wheels turn and
then the car moves.

If the brakes are pressed, or the electric car is decelerating, the motor becomes an alternator and
produces power, which is sent back to the battery.
Now, let’s discuss the PMSM motor used in Electric Vehicles in detail.

What are the types of Permanent Magnet-PM Motors?

The two most common types of Brushless PM motors are classified as:

1. PMSM or Brushless AC
Synchronous, with a uniformly rotating stator field as an induction motor. This type is also
referred to as Brushless AC-BLAC Motors.
2. PMDC or Brushless DC
Switched or trapezoidal, with stator fields that are switched in discrete steps. This type is also
referred to as Brushless DC-BLDC Motors.

Construction of PMSM Motor for Electric vehicles:

1. The Stator of PMSM Motor:

As in common AC induction motors, electrical power is supplied through the stator windings.
PMSM stator windings are typically distributed over multiple slots in order to approximate a
sinusoidal distribution so that the resulting back-EMF waveforms generated are Sinusoidal
shaped.

2. The Rotor of PMSM Motor:

There are two basic constructions of the PMSM motor – a structure that is based on the method of
arrangement of the magnets on the rotor.

If the magnets are mounted on the surface of the rotor of the motor, the PMSM motor is called
a Surface-mounted Permanent Magnet machine. If the magnets are mounted within the rotor,
then the PMSM motor is called internally fitted with permanent magnets known as Interior
Permanent Magnet (IPM) synchronous machine.

PMSM Motors used in Electric Vehicles:

Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) synchronous motors possess special features for adjustable-
speed operation. Motors with interior permanent magnet (IPM) rotors can provide exceptionally
high efficiency.
 Construction of IPM SM Motor

Permanent magnets are embedded within the rotor laminations internally fitted with a
permanent magnet motor.
PMSMs are the only variety that contains rare earth Permanent Magnets. PMSM
use neodymium-iron-boron (“NdFeB”) permanent magnets, which contain the rare earth
elements neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.
On average, a PMSM for an EV contains approximately 1.2 kg of NdFeB magnets per 100
kW of peak motor power yielded.
Since the magnets are embedded in a rotor, the centrifugal force during motor rotation does
not make the magnets fly out and the mechanical stability is high.
These motors can use both the torque due to magnet magnetization and the reluctance
torque due to rotor magnetization.

3. PMSM Motor Drive of Electric Vehicles:

All PMSM motors require a matched PM-Drive.

Working of PMSM Motor for Electric Vehicles:

A “PMSM”, which stands for “permanent magnet synchronous motor”, relies on magnets to turn the
rotor, which spins at the same speed as the PMSM’s internal rotating magnetic field.

PMSM motor drives the three phases are always excited during the electrical period, making it
necessary to use at least one rotor position sensor.

Working on PMSM Motor for EV

By continuously detecting the rotor angular position and rotational speed, the excitation can be
properly switched among the PMSM motor phases in exact synchronism with the rotor motion
using a Power electronic control circuit known as PMSM Drive.
This concept, commonly known as self-synchronization, uses direct feedback of the rotor angular
position to ensure that the PMSM machine never loses synchronization. Generally, Hall sensors
are used to get information about the angular position of the rotor, detecting the magnetic field
direction generated by the rotor.

Vector Controlled PMSM-Drive Operation in an Electric Vehicle:

The PMSM Drive is a classical vector control drive for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors.
This drive features a closed-loop speed control based on the vector control method. Closed-loop
configuration provided with speed feedback. Feedback allows the drive to track the exact rotor
position to provide a true infinite speed range, including full torque at zero speed.

The operation of PMSM motors requires position sensors in the rotor shaft when operated without
damper winding. The ones most commonly used for motors are encoders and resolvers.

The speed control loop outputs the reference electromagnetic torque of the machine taken from an
external source can be an analog signal and encoder feedback, or a serial command from a
feedback device.

These PM drives use motor data and current measurements to calculate rotor position; the digital
signal processor (DSP) calculations are quite accurate. During every sampling interval, the three-
phase AC system dependent on time and speed is transformed into a rotating two-coordinate
system in which every current is expressed and controlled as the sum of two vectors.
 PMSM Drive-Vector Control Operation

The reference direct and quadrature (dq) components of the stator current corresponding to the
commanded torque are derived based on vector control strategy. The reference dq components of
the stator current are then used to obtain the required gate signals for the inverter through a
hysteresis-band current controller.

The main advantage of this drive compared to scalar-controlled drives is its fast dynamic response.
The inherent coupling effect between the torque and flux in the machine is managed through
decoupling (stator flux orientation) control, which allows the torque and flux to be controlled
independently. However, due to its computation complexity, the implementation of this drive
requires fast computing processors or DSPs.

Advantages of PMSM Motors over AC Induction Motors:

1. PMSM has a high overload capability. The power-to-weight ratio of a PMSM is higher than
induction machines.
2. Higher efficiencies and smaller sizes (permanent magnet motors can be as much as one-
third of most AC motor sizes, which makes installation and maintenance much easier)
compared to Induction Motors.
3. PMSMs’ ability to maintain full torque at low speeds.
4. PMSM motors use magnets to produce the magnetic rotor field rather than the magnetizing
component of the stator current like in the induction motor. These magnets consume almost
no power, so copper losses are negligible level rotor unlike AC induction and Excited
Synchronous motors.
5. The rotor of PMSM has low electrical losses and dissipates less heat compared to an
Induction motor. Also, friction is low and the durability is higher since no mechanical collectors
and brushes to wear like induction motors.
6. PMSM has low maintenance costs, durability, and reliability. For Brushless and mechanical
switches, regular maintenance is significantly reduced and risks such as sparks in explosive
or corrosive environments are eliminated.
7. PMSM motors operate at an improved power factor, thereby improving the overall system
power factor and eliminating or reducing utility power factor penalties. An improved power
factor also reduces the system’s voltage drop and the voltage drop at the motor terminals.