Triangular Rotor Notches for IPM

Adaptive Template script to create triangular rotor notches to improve NVH performance.

Note

For more information on the use of Adaptive Templates in Motor-CAD, and how to create, modify and debug Adaptive Templates Scripts, see Motor-CAD adaptive templates scripting in the User guide.

Note

Adaptive Templates in Motor-CAD require v2024.1.2 (Motor-CAD 2024 R1 Update) or later and PyMotorCAD v0.4.1. To update PyMotorCAD in Motor-CAD, go to Scripting -> Settings -> PyMotorCAD updates and select ‘Update to Latest Release’.

This script is designed to be run from Motor-CAD template “e9”. If no Motor-CAD file is open, the e9 template will be loaded.

This script uses the following adaptive parameters:

• Notch Angle (-4)

• Notch Sweep (5)

• Notch Depth (1)

• Notches per Pole (2)

If these parameters are not already set up in the Motor-CAD file, the parameters will be automatically set, with the default values shown in brackets.

To set an adaptive geometry for a Motor-CAD file, a script must be loaded in to the Adaptive Templates tab (Geometry -> Editor -> Adaptive Templates) in Motor-CAD and run. When the option ‘Geometry Templates Type’ is set to ‘Adaptive’, this script is automatically run repeatedly to keep the Adaptive Geometry set in Motor-CAD.

This Python script can also be executed externally. When executed externally, a Motor-CAD instance will be launched and a file based on the “e9” template will be saved to a temporary folder. This script will be loaded into the Adaptive Templates tab.

Perform Required imports

Import pymotorcad to access Motor-CAD. Import triangular_notch to create the notch geometry region with Adaptive Template geometry. Import os, tempfile and shutil to open and save a temporary .mot file if none is open.

import os
import shutil
import sys
import tempfile

import ansys.motorcad.core as pymotorcad
from ansys.motorcad.core.geometry_shapes import triangular_notch

Connect to Motor-CAD

If this script is loaded into the Adaptive Templates file in Motor-CAD, the current Motor-CAD instance will be used.

If the script is run externally: a new Motor-CAD instance will be opened, the e9 IPM motor template will be loaded and the file will be saved to a temporary folder. To keep a new Motor-CAD instance open after executing the script, the option MotorCAD(keep_instance_open=True) is used when opening the new instance. Alternatively, use MotorCAD() and the Motor-CAD instance will close after the script is executed.

if pymotorcad.is_running_in_internal_scripting():
    # Use existing Motor-CAD instance if possible
    mc = pymotorcad.MotorCAD(open_new_instance=False)
else:
    mc = pymotorcad.MotorCAD(keep_instance_open=True)
    # Disable popup messages
    mc.set_variable("MessageDisplayState", 2)
    mc.set_visible(True)
    mc.load_template("e9")

    # Open relevant file
    working_folder = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "adaptive_library")
    try:
        shutil.rmtree(working_folder)
    except:
        pass
    os.mkdir(working_folder)
    mot_name = "BPMTriRotorNotches"
    mc.save_to_file(working_folder + "/" + mot_name + ".mot")

# Reset geometry to default
mc.reset_adaptive_geometry()

Set Adaptive Parameters if required

Four Adaptive Parameters are required for this adaptive template. These are used to define the number of rotor notches to be added, their position and size.

If the Adaptive Parameters have already been set in the current Motor-CAD file, their current values will be used. Otherwise, the Adaptive Parameters will be defined and set to default values.

The function set_default_parameter is defined to check if a parameter exists, and if not, create it with a default value.

def set_default_parameter(parameter_name, default_value):
    try:
        mc.get_adaptive_parameter_value(parameter_name)
    except pymotorcad.MotorCADError:
        mc.set_adaptive_parameter_value(parameter_name, default_value)

Use the set_default_parameter to set the required parameters if undefined

set_default_parameter("Notch Angle", -4)
set_default_parameter("Notch Sweep", 5)
set_default_parameter("Notch Depth", 1)
set_default_parameter("Notches per Pole", 2)

Get required parameters and objects

Get the Adaptive Parameters specified in Motor-CAD, and their values

notch_angle = mc.get_adaptive_parameter_value("notch angle")
notch_angular_width = mc.get_adaptive_parameter_value("notch sweep")
notch_depth = mc.get_adaptive_parameter_value("notch depth")
number_notches = int(mc.get_adaptive_parameter_value("notches per pole"))

Get the standard template rotor region from Motor-CAD. Calculate the rotor radius and define the rotor centre coordinates.

rotor_region = mc.get_region("Rotor")

rotor_radius = mc.get_variable("RotorDiameter") / 2
duplication_angle = 360 / rotor_region.duplications

Add an if statement to account for the case when a notch crosses the symmetry boundary. This resets notch_angle to half the notch_angular_width away from the boundary.

if notch_angle > (duplication_angle / (2 * number_notches)) - (notch_angular_width / 2):
    # Limit so notch does not cross the symmetry boundary
    notch_angle = (duplication_angle / (2 * number_notches)) - notch_angular_width / 2
    mc.show_message("Adaptive Parameter: 'notch angle' not valid, reset to " + str(notch_angle))
    mc.set_adaptive_parameter_value("notch angle", notch_angle)

Add an if statement to account for the case when notches overlap at the centre of the pole. This resets notch_angle to:

• Half the notch_angular_width away from the pole centre when there are an even number of notches

• The full notch_angular_width away from the pole centre when there are an odd number of notches

if number_notches % 2 == 0:
    x = -1
else:
    x = -2

if notch_angle < -((duplication_angle / (2 * number_notches)) - (notch_angular_width / 2)):
    # Limit so notches do not overlap at centre of pole
    notch_angle = x * ((duplication_angle / (2 * number_notches)) - notch_angular_width / 2)
    mc.show_message("Adaptive Parameter: 'notch angle' not valid, reset to " + str(notch_angle))
    mc.set_adaptive_parameter_value("notch angle", notch_angle)

Create the Adaptive Templates geometry

For each notch to be added:

• Calculate the angular position of the notch in mechanical degrees

• Apply the offset angle. For notches on the left side of the pole, the position is shifted by + notch_angle mechanical degrees. For notches on the right side of the pole, the position is shifted by - notch_angle mechanical degrees.

• Create the notch Region using the triangular_notch() function, imported from ansys.motorcad.core.geometry_shapes. The arguments for the function are:

  • rotor_radius

  • notch_angular_width

  • notch_centre_angle

  • notch_depth

• Define the properties for the notch region

  • name

  • colour

  • duplication angle

  • material

• set the notch’s parent to the rotor region. This will allow Motor-CAD to treat the notch as a sub-region of the rotor and handle subtractions automatically.

• If the notch is closed, set the region in Motor-CAD.

for notch_loop in range(0, number_notches):
    notch_name = "Rotor_Notch_" + str(notch_loop + 1)

    # angular position of notch
    notch_centre_angle = ((2 * notch_loop) + 1) * (duplication_angle / (2 * number_notches))

    # Offset angle by notch_angle
    if notch_centre_angle < duplication_angle / 2:
        notch_centre_angle = notch_centre_angle - notch_angle
    if notch_centre_angle > duplication_angle / 2:
        notch_centre_angle = notch_centre_angle + notch_angle

    # generate a triangular notch region
    notch = triangular_notch(rotor_radius, notch_angular_width, notch_centre_angle, notch_depth)

    # notch properties
    notch.name = notch_name
    notch.colour = (255, 255, 255)
    notch.duplications = rotor_region.duplications
    notch.material = "Air"
    notch.parent = rotor_region

    if notch.is_closed():
        mc.set_region(notch)

Load in Adaptive Templates Script if required

When the script is run externally:

• Set Geometry type to “Adaptive”

• Load the script into the Adaptive Templates tab

• Go to the Geometry -> Radial tab to run the Adaptive Templates Script and display the new geometry

if not pymotorcad.is_running_in_internal_scripting():
    mc.set_variable("GeometryTemplateType", 1)
    mc.load_adaptive_script(sys.argv[0])
    mc.display_screen("Geometry;Radial")