An electronic controllable permanent magnet coupler by setting coils on/off

Abstract

With the inherent non-contact and dynamic advantages, permanent magnet couplers are an efficient and eco-friendly speed adjustment transmission means. However, traditional permanent magnet couplers use cumbersome mechanical structures to adjust the speed, always resulting in high structural complexity and slow adjustment response. This paper proposes a new adaptive permanent magnet coupler with electromagnetic induction by setting coils on (close) or off (open), abbreviated as C-PMC, which has potential advantages in material utilization and cost, speed adjustment range and response time, electronic controllability, even remote operability and safety. The C-PMC adjusts the speed efficiently by changing the coils on/off state based on the traditional air-gap speed adjustment mode. When fewer coils are in the on-state, the electromagnetic induction interconnection between the primary and secondary rotors is reduced, resulting in weaker torque transmission. The C-PMC electromagnetic and mechanical characteristics are analyzed and optimized using finite element simulation, and then are verified by specialized experimental bench. Through the analysis of adjustment properties under diverse load types, it is demonstrated that the proposed C-PMC outperforms traditional couplers in speed adjustment and torque transmission performances. The C-PMC provides a new way for the development and engineering application of permanent magnet couplers.