It is hard to answer your question with precision as there are SO MANY applications. Also, you could distinguish between:
- Applications where PMSM are industrially used (do you want fields or specific products? typically automotive industry where efficiency and density are of great interest, especially on electrification of ICE engines)
- Applications where other types of electric machines are being used, and where PMSM can have a great impact, but the cost and habits did not let PMSM penetrate the market (typically air management, like building air cooling where energy saving makes sense for environment but the initial cost is too high for a commercially available product)
In order to narrow down to a readable list, any fields you are particularly interested in?
If you are a big fan of list, here is an answer provided by Mohit Patel on Quora:
PM motors are used in a broad power range from mWs to hundreds kWs. There are also attempts to apply PMs to large motors rated at minimum 1 MW. Thus, PM motors cover a wide variety of application fields, from step- ping motors for wrist watches, through industrial drives for machine tools to large PM synchronous motors for ship propulsion (navy frigates, cruise ships, medium size cargo vessels and ice breakers) [109, 124, 278]. The application of PM electric motors includes: • Industry (Figs 1.12, 1.14 1.13 and 1.15): – industrial drives, e.g., pumps, fans, blowers, compressors (Fig. 1.14), centrifuges, mills, hoists, handling systems, etc. – machine tools – servo drives – automation processes – internal transportation systems – robots • Public life: – heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems – catering equipment – coin laundry machines – autobank machines – automatic vending machines – money changing machines – ticketing machines – bar code scanners at supermarkets (Fig. 1.16) – environmental control systems – clocks – amusement park equipment • Domestic life (Fig. 1.17, 1.18 and 1.19): – kitchen equipment (refrigerators, microwave ovens, in-sink garbage dis- posers, dishwashers, mixers, grills, etc.) – bathroom equipment (shavers, hair dryers, tooth brushes, massage ap- paratus) – washing machines and clothes dryers – HVAC systems, humidifiers and dehumidifiers – vacuum cleaners – lawn mowers – pumps (wells, swimming pools, jacuzzi whirlpool tubs) – toys – vision and sound equipment – cameras – cellular phones – security systems (automatic garage doors, automatic gates) • Information and office equipment (Figs. 1.20 and 1.21): – computers [161, 163] – printers – plotters – scanners – facsimile machines – photocopiers – audiovisual aids • Automobiles with combustion engines (Fig. 1.22); • Transportation (Figs. 1.23, 1.24, 1.25 and 1.27): – elevators and escalators – people movers – light railways and streetcars (trams) – electric road vehicles – aircraft flight control surface actuation – electric ships – electric boats – electric aicrafts (Fig. 1.27 • Defense forces (1.26): – tanks – missiles – radar systems – submarines – torpedos • Aerospace: – rockets – space shuttles – satellites • Medical and healthcare equipment: – dental handpieces (dentist’s drills) – electric wheelchairs – air compressors – trotters – rehabilitation equipment – artificial heart motors • Power tools (Fig. 1.28): – drills – hammers – screwdrivers – grinders – polishers – saws – sanders – sheep shearing handpieces [256] • Renewable energy systems (Fig. 1.29) • Research and exploration equipment (Fig. 1.30) The automotive industry is the biggest user of PM d.c. commutator motors. The number of auxiliary d.c. PM commutator motors can vary from a few in an inexpensive car to about one hundred in a luxury car [175]. Small PM brushless motors are first of all used in computer hard disk drives (HDDs) and cooling fans. The 2002 worldwide production of computers is estimated to be 200 million units and production of HDDs approximately 250 million units.
Guillaume covered many applivation areas. PMSM drives are very beneficial in traction applications, where high torque is required at low rotation speed. Also in applications where total efficiency plays an important role e.g. fans, pumps and blowers. Recently, PMSM drives have been utilized also in high speed technology.