Reduced cogging torque permanent magnet electric machine with rotor having offset sections

A permanent magnet electric machine with reduced cogging torque, comprising:

• a rotor;
• and
• a plurality of axial rotor sections defined on a radially outer surface of said rotor,
• wherein each of said axial rotor sections include a set of permanent magnets that are initially attached in an unmagnetized state and that have opposite edges that are aligned with an axis of said rotor,
• wherein said permanent magnets of said rotor include at least one substantially unmagnetized stair step area and at least one straight skewed unmagnetized area.

A permanent magnet electric machine with reduced cogging torque, comprising:

• a rotor;
• and
• a plurality of axial rotor sections defined on a radially outer surface of said rotor,
• wherein each of said axial rotor sections include a set of permanent magnets that are initially attached in an unmagnetized state and that have a generally rectangular cross-section,
• wherein said permanent magnets of said rotor include at least one substantially unmagnetized stair step area and at least one straight skewed unmagnetized area, and
• wherein a magnetic field that is impressed in said permanent magnets increases from a minimum value adjacent to one stair step interface to a maximum value approximately halfway between said one stair step interface and an adjacent stair step interface.