IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 50, NO.

11, NOVEMBER 2014

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A Novel High Torque-Density Triple-Permanent-Magnet-Excited

Magnetic Gear
Shan Peng, W. N. Fu, and S. L. Ho
Department of Electrical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
This paper presents a novel magnetic gear, which has a higher torque transmission density than its conventional counterparts. This
new topology deploys an extra set of permanent magnetic (PM) poles on the stationary ferromagnetic segments, which functions
ingeniously as an extra pair of magnetic gear inside the same original volume and helps to increase the transmitted torque significantly.
The magnetic flux distributions and magnetic torque are analyzed comprehensively by solving the magnetic field and mechanical
motion coupled models using finite-element method (FEM). The performance of this new structure is compared with those of a
traditional magnetic gear and other possible topologies using FEM. The proposed triple-PM-excited magnetic gear can transmit an
addition of at least 20% of torque density (torque per unit overall volume) when compared with conventional magnetic gears with
the same size.
Index Terms Finite element method (FEM), high torque density, magnetic gear, permanent magnet (PM), torque transmission.

I. I NTRODUCTION

ERMANENT magnets (PMs) have fascinated and

inspired scientists and engineers for decades [1], as PMs
can produce magnetic field and magnetic force with no external excitations nor energy consumption. It is exactly these
characteristics that have made PMs highly instrumental in
many applications, such as in lifting mechanisms, loud speakers, and couplings, not to mention in electric machines [1].
Magnetic gears (MGs) are devices to transmit torque between
two rotating parts with different magnetic pole-pairs through
the flux modulation of ferromagnetic segments [2]. They can
change the rotating speeds of the main drive and transmit
torque without mechanical coupling. It is a notable successful application of PMs in the drive industry. Compared
with mechanical gears, MGs have very competitive torque
transmission capability and efficiency [3][5]. In addition,
the MGs have smooth torque transmission, low vibration,
virtually no mechanical wear, and no fatigue, and hence
they have maintenance free operations, when compared with
their traditional mechanical counterparts. There are various
types of MGs. Their torque densities typically increase as
the size of their outer diameter increases [6]. A number of
researchers have demonstrated that a volumetric torque density
of 100 Nm/L is attainable in MGs [7]. Among these, a MG
comprising of coaxial inner and outer rotors on the two sides of
ferromagnetic segments has recently attracted a lot of interests
since it transmits a relatively high torque density compared
with other types of MGs.
In this paper, a novel triple-PM-excited MG as shown in
Fig. 1 is presented. It has the advantage of having high
torque density. Its design method using numerical analysis is
described. In order to showcase its superior performance, the
torque density of the proposed MG is compared with those
of a conventional MG (Fig. 2) and other possible versions of
MGS of different configurations (Figs. 35).
Manuscript received March 7, 2014; revised April 19, 2014; accepted
April 20, 2014. Date of current version November 18, 2014. Corresponding
author: W. N. Fu (e-mail: eewnfu@polyu.edu.hk).
Color versions of one or more of the figures in this paper are available
online at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TMAG.2014.2320055

Fig. 1. Overview of the proposed triple-PM-excited magnetic gear (Gear I).

Fig. 2.

Conventional magnetic gear (Gear II).

II. P ROPOSED C ONFIGURATION

The proposed MG is shown in Fig. 1. The key parameters
of the proposed MG are listed in Table I. It has an inner
rotor running at high speed and an outer rotor running at
low speed. Similar to conventional MGs, the inner rotor has

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Fig. 3.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 50, NO. 11, NOVEMBER 2014

Possible version of magnetic gear (Gear III).

Fig. 5.

Possible version of magnetic gear (Gear V).

TABLE I

PARAMETERS FOR THE P ROPOSED M AGNETIC G EAR (G EAR I) AND

O THER C ONVENTIONAL M AGNETIC G EARS (G EARS IIV)

Fig. 4.

Another possible version of magnetic gear (Gear IV).

one layer of PMs and outer rotor has another layer of PMs.
Between the two rotors, a stationary layer with ferromagnetic
segments is sandwiched. The ferromagnetic segments serve
to modulate the magnetic fields in the airgap between the
inner rotor and ferromagnetic segments, as well as in another
airgap between the outer rotor and ferromagnetic segments.
The speed reduction ratio of the gear is equal to the ratio
of the pole-pair number of the outer rotor over the pole-pair
number of the inner rotor.
For the proposed MG, the pole-pair numbers of the inner
rotor, which rotates at high speed and the outer rotor,
which rotates at low speed have to be different. The outer rotor
PM pole-pair number and stator segment pole-pair number are
designed to be relatively large and close to each other [8].
The magnetomotive force (mmf) rotating with the speed of
1 and p1 pole-pairs produced by the PMs on the outer rotor
along the positive direction can be expressed as
F1 = F1m cos( p1 p11 t + 1 )

(1)

where F1m is the magnitude of F1 ; is the mechanical space

position; 1 is the initial angle.

The mmf rotating with the speed of 2 and p2 pole-pairs

produced by the PMs on the inner rotor along the positive
direction can be expressed as
F2 = F2m cos( p2 p2 2 t + 2 )

(2)

where F2m is the magnitude of F2 and 2 is the initial angle.

The stationary magnetic permeance per unit length produced
by the ferromagnetic segments with pFe pole-pairs is
= av + m cos( pFe + r )

(3)

where av and m is the average and magnitude of alternate

component of , respectively; r is the initial angle.

PENG et al.: NOVEL HIGH TORQUE-DENSITY TRIPLE-PM-EXCITED MG

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The magnetic flux density produced by F1 is

B1 = F1 = B11 + B12 + B13

(4)

where
B11 = av F1m cos( p1 p1 1 t + 1 )

(5)

B12 = (1/2)m F1m cos [( pFe p1 ) + p1 1 t + (r 1 )]

(6)
B13 = (1/2)m F1m cos [( pFe + p1 ) p1 1 t + (r + 1 )] .
(7)

Fig. 6. (a) Torque at full-load operation (Gear I). (b) Torque when the outer
rotor is locked (Gear I).

The magnetic flux density produced by F2 is

B2 = F2 = B21 + B22 + B23

(8)

where
(9)
B21 = av F2m cos( p2 p2 2 t + 2 )
B22 = (1/2)m F2m cos [( pFe p2 ) + p2 2 t + (r 2 )]
B23

(10)
= (1/2)m F2m cos [( pFe + p2 ) p2 2 t + (r + 2 )] .
(11)

If the magnetic gear is designed so that

p1 + p2 = pFe and

1
p2
= .
2
p1

(12)

From (5) and (10), it is noted that the component B11 of the
magnetic field produced by the outer rotor and component B22
of the magnetic field produced by the inner rotor will have the
same pole-pair number and the same rotating speed; from (6)
and (9), one can also notice that the component B12 of the
magnetic field produced by the outer rotor and component
B21 of the magnetic field produced by the inner rotor will
have the same pole-pair number and the same rotating speed.
Consequently, a constant electromagnetic torque between the
two rotors can be generated.
Unlike conventional MGs, the proposed MG employs an
extra stationary layer of PMs mounted between adjacent
ferromagnetic segments. These PMs produce an extra set of
magnetic field, which is modulated by the magnetic reluctance
of the outer rotor and reacts with the magnetic field produced
by the PMs on the inner rotor to produce the additional
transmitted torque. Essentially, it constitutes another pair of
MG inside the original volume, even though there is no real
physical existence of an additional gear.
Compared with its conventional counterparts, the proposed
structure is making full use of the free space among ferromagnetic segments, which is not being used in conventional
MGs. The salient merit of the proposed MG is that it can
transmit a bigger torque with the same overall volume. The
harmonic analysis of the magnetic fields shows that, with the
ingenious inclusion of the proposed pole-tooth combination
in the proposed configuration, the PMs on all the layers
will contribute toward the transmission of positive torques.
Quantitative numerical analysis is reported to showcase the
improved performance of the proposed topology.

Fig. 7. (a) Torque at full-load operation (Gear II). (b) Torque when the outer
rotor is locked (Gear II).

III. P ERFORMANCE A NALYSIS

OF THE M AGNETIC G EARS
Finite-element method (FEM) of magnetic field and
mechanical motion coupled computation is employed to evaluate the dynamic electromagnetic torque of the MGs comprehensively [10].
To reveal the advantage of the proposed MG, the performances of the five MGs are analyzed and compared
using FEM.
For the sake of making a fair comparison on the performances of the five gears, the same constraints are applied in
the determination of the geometric sizes of all the five MGs.
Gear I as shown in Fig. 1 is the proposed topology, which
has the PM arrangements of N poleironN poleiron
on the outer rotor, and the PM arrangements of N poleS
poleN poleS pole on the inner rotor. This topology is
fabricated with PMs among the ferromagnetic segments. The
torque curves at full load and when the outer rotor is locked
are shown in Fig. 6(a) and (b).
Gear II as shown in Fig. 2 is the conventional one
with surface-mounted PMs, which have the arrangements of
N poleS poleN poleS pole on the outer rotor and inner
rotor, and without any PMs on the ferromagnetic segments.
The torque curves at full load and when the outer rotor is
locked are shown in Fig. 7(a) and (b).
Gear III as shown in Fig. 3 is one possible topology
with surface-mounted PMs, which have the arrangements of
N poleN pole on the outer rotor and N poleS poleN
poleS pole on the inner rotor, and without any PMs on
the ferromagnetic segments.
Gear IV as shown in Fig. 4 is another possible topology, which has the PM arrangements of N poleironN
poleiron on the outer rotor and inner rotor. There are
PMs on the ferromagnetic segments.
Gear V as shown in Fig. 5 is a topology, which has the
PM arrangements of N poleironN poleiron on the inner

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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 50, NO. 11, NOVEMBER 2014

TABLE III
T ORQUE P ER U NIT PM V OLUME C OMPARISON
OF

Fig. 8. (a) Torque at full-load operation (Gear III). (b) Torque when the
outer rotor is locked (Gear III).

F IVE C ONFIGURATIONS

It also shows that the proposed one is the most reasonable

configuration, and it has the highest torque per unit volume of
PM among the five options.
IV. C ONCLUSION

Fig. 9. (a) Torque at full-load operation (Gear IV). (b) Torque when the
outer rotor is locked (Gear IV).

This paper presents a novel magnetic gear, which transmits a relatively high torque density when compared with
those of its conventional counterparts. Compared with conventional magnetic gears, this new configuration has three
PM layers, which creatively constitutes two magnetic gears
inside the same volume of one conventional magnetic gear,
hence improving the transmitted torque density significantly.
Based on the FEM analysis, the proposed magnetic gear
can transmit at least an addition of 20% more torque when
compared with that by the conventional magnetic gear, and at
least 40% more torque when compared with those by other
possible versions of magnetic gears.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Fig. 10. (a) Torque at full-load operation (Gear V). (b) Torque when the
outer rotor is locked (Gear V).

This work was supported by the Hong Kong Polytechnic

University under Grant G-YM14 and Grant 4-ZZAJ.
R EFERENCES

TABLE II
T ORQUE C OMPARISON OF F IVE C ONFIGURATIONS

rotor, and the PM arrangements of N poleS poleN poleS

pole on the outer rotor.
The magnetic flux densities in the iron cores of these
possible versions of configurations are all reasonable. The
full load and locked rotor torque curves of these versions of
conventional configurations are shown in Figs. 810.
Table II shows the computed torque values and maximum
torque ripples of the five structures using 2-D FEM of
the transient magnetic field model [11]. It is clear that the
torque of the proposed MG has the largest value among the five
configurations. Quantitative numerical analysis has also shown
that the proposed triple-PM-excited magnetic gear can offer
at least 20% higher torque when compared with Gear II,
60% higher torque when compared with Gear III, 40% higher
torque when compared with Gear IV, and 96% higher torque
when compared with Gear V. Table III shows the computed
torque values of the five structures per unit volume of PMs.

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