Transverse flux machine with segmented rotor

A steer-by-wire system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a handwheel actuator coupled to apply a torque to a steering wheel;
• the handwheel actuator including a transverse flux machine (TFM), including:
• a rotor assembly configured to rotate about an axis and including a plurality of segments stacked axially, each segment of the plurality of segments including a plurality of rotor cores and a plurality of permanent magnets;
• and
• a stator assembly including a transverse flux core configured to direct a magnetic flux in each of an axial direction and a radial direction toward the rotor assembly,
• wherein the plurality of segments includes two exterior segments, each of the exterior segments located adjacent to a corresponding axial end of the rotor assembly, and wherein the plurality of segments includes an interior segment which is spaced apart from the axial ends of the rotor assembly, wherein the exterior segments each include a first set of permanent magnets having a first remnant flux density, and the interior segment includes a second set of permanent magnets, and
• wherein the interior segment has at least one of:
• a shorter axial length than the exterior segments, and/or the second set of permanent magnets having a second remnant flux density that is lower than the first remnant flux density of the first set of permanent magnets.

A transverse flux machine (TFM) comprising:

• a rotor assembly configured to rotate about an axis and including a plurality of segments stacked axially, each segment of the plurality of segments including a plurality of rotor cores and a plurality of permanent magnets;
• and
• a stator assembly including a transverse flux core configured to direct a magnetic flux in each of an axial direction and a radial direction toward the rotor assembly,
• wherein the plurality of permanent magnets include a first set of permanent magnets having a first remnant flux density, and a second set of permanent magnets having a second remnant flux density that is lower than the first remnant flux density, and
• wherein the first set of permanent magnets having the first remnant flux density are disposed within an exterior segment of the plurality of segments located adjacent to an axial end of the rotor assembly, and wherein the second set of permanent magnets having the second remnant flux density are disposed within an interior segment of the plurality of segments which is spaced apart from the axial end of the rotor assembly.