Thermal and Mechanical Analysis of PM Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor for Washing Machines

In this paper, a sample Permanent Magnet Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor (PMaSynRM) designed for washing machine applications is analyzed thermally and mechanically. Since washers operate at two different modes, washing and spinning modes, both analyses have been done for the two operating conditions. First of all, referring to the electro-magnetic characteristics of the sample motor, input current, copper losses, iron losses and output torque for both operating modes have been observed. Using these parameters, analytical thermal model for the motor is developed in Motor-CAD and analyzed. Considering the disadvantages of the sample motor performance at steady-state temperatures, the motor is further optimized and analyzed thermally and electromagnetically in the same way as the sample motor. Following the thermal analysis, mechanical analysis is performed using static structural module of ANSYS. Mechanical analysis is also performed for both motors at both operating conditions to see which one is better in mechanical aspect.