Synchronous reluctance motor having a ferrite assisted reluctance rotor

A rotor comprising:

• a drive shaft;
• a plurality of stacked rotor laminations that form a rotor body, the rotor body extending around the drive shaft, each stacked rotor lamination having connecting webs that form reluctance voids within the plurality of stacked rotor laminations;
• and
• magnet inserts that are disposed within the reluctance voids, wherein the magnet inserts occupy at least a portion of a space defined by the reluctance voids, wherein the magnet inserts and the reluctance voids are configured to cooperate with an electromagnetic field from a stator winding to produce an electromagnetic torque having a reluctance torque component and a magnetic torque component.

A method for forming a rotor for an electric motor, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming rotor laminations having reluctance blanks removed from each of the rotor laminations to define connecting webs;
• stacking the rotor laminations to form a rotor body, wherein the connecting webs are aligned to define reluctance voids within the rotor body;
• positioning magnet inserts within the reluctance voids;
• disposing opposing end caps on the rotor body to enclose the reluctance voids;
• and
• overmolding the rotor body with an overmold material, wherein the opposing end caps prevent infiltration of the overmold material into the reluctance voids.