Rotor for electric machine

A rotor for an electric machine, comprising:

• a rotor core having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rotor poles, with each rotor pole including a plurality of rotor slots arranged into a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers including:
• a first non-magnetic layer having the rotor retors slots thereof shaped to include a center rotor slot, a first outer rotor slot, and a second outer rotor slot;
• a second non-magnetic layer having the rotor slots thereof shaped to include a center rotor slot, a first outer rotor slot, and a second outer rotor slot;
• a third magnetic layer having the rotor slots thereof shaped to include a middle rotor slot, a first intermediary rotor slot, a second intermediary rotor slot, a first outside rotor slot, and a second outside rotor slot;
• a fourth magnetic layer having the rotor slots thereof shaped to include a middle rotor slot, a first intermediary rotor slot, a second intermediary rotor slot, a first outside rotor slot, and a second outside rotor slot;
• and
• a fifth magnetic layer having the rotor slots thereof shaped to include a middle rotor slot, a first intermediary rotor slot, a second intermediary rotor slot, a first outside rotor slot, and a second outside rotor slot;
• wherein first and second non-magnetic layers include no magnets;
• wherein the third, fourth, and fifth magnetic layers include a magnet in each of the middle rotor slots;
• wherein the first outer, second outer, and center rotor slots of the first non-magnetic layers have a first parabolically shaped thickness defined relative to a vertex;
• and
• wherein the first outer, second outer, and center rotor slots of the second non-magnetic layers have a second parabolically shaped thickness defined relative to the vertex.

A vehicle, comprising:

• an electric motor configured for converting electrical power to mechanical power for purposes of propelling the vehicle;
• and
• wherein the electric motor includes:
• a stator including a plurality of stator windings configured for generating a rotating magnetic field (RMF);
• and
• a rotor configured for rotating within the stator according to a torque induced by the RMF, wherein the rotor includes a rotor core having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rotor poles, with each rotor pole including a plurality of rotor slots arranged into one or more magnetic layers and one or more non-magnetic layers, the magnetic layers including a magnet within one or more of the rotor slots thereof and the non-magnetic layers including no magnets within the rotor slots thereof;
• wherein:
• a centerline of each of the magnetic layers and a centerline of each of the non-magnetic layers radially align with a centerline of the rotor pole corresponding therewith;
• an apex of each of the magnetic layers is radially inboard of an apex of each of the non-magnetic layers, wherein the apexes of the magnetic and non-magnetic layers are centered relative to the centerline of the rotor pole corresponding therewith;
• each of the rotor poles includes a first non-magnetic layer and a second non-magnetic layer of the non-magnetic layers;
• the apex of each of the first non-magnetic layers is outboard of the apex of each of the second non-magnetic layers;
• the first non-magnetic layer has the rotors slots thereof shaped to include a first outer rotor slot, a second outer rotor slot, and a center rotor slot;
• the second non-magnetic layer has the rotor slots thereof shaped to include a first outer rotor slot, a second outer rotor slot, and a center rotor slot;
• the first outer, second outer, and center rotor slots of the first non-magnetic layers have a first parabolically shaped thickness defined relative to a vertex;
• and
• the first outer, second outer, and center rotor slots of the second non-magnetic layers have a second parabolically shaped thickness defined relative to the vertex.