Resumen de Reluctant network‐based investigation of a claw pole alternator with DC excitation in the stator

Helmi Aloui, Amina Ibala, Ahmed Masmoudi, Mohamed Gabsi, Michel Lécrivain

• Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose improvement of the generation capability of a claw pole alternator with DC excitation in the stator (CPAES) using analytical investigation based on a dedicated reluctant model.

  Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyzes the effects of geometry and material transformations of the magnetic circuit on the generation capability of the CPAES as well as the reduction of claw‐claw leakage flux by inserting permanent magnets in between adjacent claws.

  Findings – The generation capability could be improved considering the proposed geometry and material changes of the magnetic circuit of the CPAES. The inclusion of permanent magnets in between adjacent claws offers an increase of the alternator generation due to the reduction of the claw‐claw leakage flux.

  Research limitations/implications – The research should be extended by building a new prototype of the CPAES in order to compare analytical results and experimental ones.

  Practical implications – A new concept with no brush‐ring for excitation and an improvement of the generation capability of the alternator make the CPAES an interesting candidate especially in large‐scale production applications such as the automotive industry.

  Originality/value – The paper proposes a new alternator topology called claw pole alternator with DC excitation in the stator (CPAES) and an analytical approach to improve the generation capability of such a concept, which represents a crucial challenge in electric generation systems especially in automotive applications.