Experimental Assessment of a Synchronous Reluctance Machine Featuring an Additive Manufactured Rotor

The higher geometrical degrees of freedom enabled by additive manufacturing have paved the way to its widespread diffusion in many sectors ranging from aerospace to motor-sport. However, its application to electromagnetic parts is still in its infancy and requires detailed investigation aimed at revealing its boundaries. This work presents the experimental performance assessment of a synchronous reluctance motor featuring a rotor build with an additive manufacturing technique. The prototype motor is compared with its original laminated version by means of finite element analysis and the results of an extensive experimental campaign. Performance characteristics of two motors are deeply investigated in terms of flux-current maps and torque behavior in the entire operating range. The study reveals that the worsening of the magnetic material properties does not directly imply the worsening of the motor performance.