INNOVATION AND INTEGRATION THE KEY TO EXPLOITING RARE EARTH MAGNETS IN ELECTRICAL MACHINES

摘要

Electrical machines have always been the dominant application for permanent magnets, and forecasts indicate that they will account for the major growth in the NdFeB magnet market. Indeed, machine designers have never had such a wide choice of grades and forms of magnet as those which are currently available from producers of NdFeB materials. However, the key to increasing their uptake lies in practising concurrent engineering, with the magnet material, the manufacturing processes and the machine design being optimised simultaneously, the emphasis being on a total systems engineering approach to design. In addition, design innovation and a high level of product integration will be significant competitive parameters This paper will illustrate the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the effective utilisation of rare-earth magnet technology in electrical machines by discussing new and emerging applications spanning different market sectors.