FEA-based investigation of the generating capability of a novel hybrid excited claw pole alternator with improved cost-effectiveness

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the generating capability of a novel hybrid excited brushless claw pole alternator (HEBCPA) with improved cost-effectiveness gained thanks to the substitution the rotor NdFeB-made permanent magnet (PM) with ferrite ones. Design/methodology/approach – The investigation of the magnetic features of the novel HEBCPA has been carried out using a 3D finite element analysis (FEA). Findings – It has been found that the machine generating capability is not affected by the substitution of the single rotor NdFeB-made PM by stator and rotor ferrite-made ones, which represents a crucial cost benefit. Research limitations/implications – An experimental validation of the features computed by FEA shall be considered as an outlook of the present work. Practical implications – The novel HEBCPA could be of great interest for automotive generating systems. Originality/value – The proposed HEBCPA with ferrite-made PMs is a novel concept.