Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 5272: A Direct-Drive Rotary Actuator Based on Modular FSPM Topology for Large-Inertia Payload Transfer
Energies doi: 10.3390/en18195272
Authors:
Jianlong Zhu
Zhe Wang
Minghao Tong
Longmiao Chen
Linfang Qian
This paper proposes a novel direct-drive rotary actuator based on a modular five-phase outer-rotor flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) machine to overcome the limitations of conventional actuators with gear reducers, such as mechanical complexity and low reliability. The research focused on a synergistic design of a lightweight, high-torque-density motor and a precise control strategy. The methodology involved a structured topology evolution to create a modular stator architecture, followed by finite element analysis-based electromagnetic optimization. To achieve precision control, a multi-vector model predictive current control (MPCC) scheme was developed. This optimization process contributed to a significant performance improvement, increasing the average torque to 13.33 Nm, reducing torque ripple from 9.81% to 2.36% and obtaining a maximum position error under 1 mil. The key result was experimentally validated using an 8 kg inertial load, confirming the actuator’s feasibility for industrial deployment.