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which gather efficient performance and meet the specific problem requirements will not be excluded at this step of the design procedure due to over temperatures and high value of cur- rent density. After applying all the eliminatory criteria, only optimal topologies are selected. Their geomet- rical parameters and specifications, such as stator phase resistance, inductance in d- and q-axis, flux linkage established by magnets, number of pole pairs, efficiency at rated power, source frequency, shaft inertia and damping coefficient, are then imported in Matlab/Simulink HEV model. This model, as mentioned before, involves all the necessary HEV subsystems and it will be used in order to assess the overall system performance. The final HEV configuration and motor topology will be chosen according to the optimal energy management and efficient collaboration of the subsystems. For this purpose, HEV performance can be estimated during one single or several different driving cycles. The designer should carefully choose the appro- priate driving cycle, which fulfil his own requirements and the use of the vehicle. The urban driving cycle (ECE 15) and the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) have been extensively employed by manufacturers for vehicle energy consumption and emission testing, as they represent the typical use of light duty vehicles in Europe. Summarizing, the methodology proposed here seems to be very promising compared to other common practices, since it permits the detail implementation of motor’s characteristics in HEV model and the interaction between its geometrical parameters with vehicle’s perfor- mance. Additionally, the user can thoroughly compare to each other several candidate topol- ogies before making his final choice, by examining aspects, such as the fuel consumption, the state of charge of the batteries, the compatibility of inverter’s specifications with motor’s requirements, etc. The large amount of constraints, the determination of motor’s tempera- ture distribution and electromechanical performance can ensure that the in-wheel motor will exhibit the desirable operation even under adverse working conditions. The relatively high simulation time that is required for running Matlab/Simulink model could be considered as the main disadvantage of the proposed here design procedure. 3. Case studies, results and discussion In this Section the problem of the design and optimization of a light duty HEV’s traction system is examined. The HEV under consideration incorporates the series-parallel configura- tion, using an internal combustion engine (ICE) and two SPMSMs for propulsion. The electric motors are implemented around each of the driving wheels to directly deliver power to them. Series-parallel architecture enables the engine and electric motors to provide power inde- pendently or in conjunction with one another. At lower vehicle’s speeds the system operates more as series vehicle, whereas at high speeds, where the series drive train is less efficient, the engine takes over and energy loss is minimized. The engine is going to be able to produce 115 Nm torque at 4200 rpm, whereas its output power and its maximum speed will be 57 kW and 5000 rpm, respectively. The output power of each in-wheel motor will be equal to 15.3 kW and a torque of 170 Nm at 850 rpm will be provided. Moreover, the engine is going to drive a salient pole synchronous permanent magnet generator, which will either charge the batteries Design, Optimization and Modelling of High Power Density Direct-Drive Wheel Motor for Light Hybrid Electric Vehicles http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.68455 133