Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Motor Design for Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract: Axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) motors are a type of electric motor in which the magnetic flux between the stator and rotor flows in the axial direction. These motors show superior performance compared to radial flux permanent magnet (RFPM) motors in industrial applications such as fans, industrial pump systems, and automotive industry, due to their ability to operate at high speeds, high-power density, and low flux path features. Nowadays, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used in various fields such as mapping, firefighting, logistics, and military fields. High-efficiency, low-weight, and cost-effective motors have been gaining attraction for UAVs. In this paper, an AFPM is designed to achieve high-power density and efficiency in UAV applications. At the design stage, the essential flowchart and the equations used to calculate the dimensions of the AFPM motor are presented. Based on the presented equations, a three-phase axial flux motor simulation is carried out using the Ansys Electronics Desktop software, with a nominal power of 1 kW and a power density of 2.97 W/g, which can be used between 0-12500 rpm. The proposed design procedure is verified with the simulation results using finite element analysis.Cite this article as: F. Kurtuluş and E. Akboy, “Axial flux permanent magnet motor design for lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles,” Turk J Electr Power Energy Syst. 2025; 5(1), 2-9.