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In this article, a wireless resolver is proposed and implemented for wireless switched reluctance (SR) motors, which can detect the rotor position and transfer the information to the primary side without involving any battery storage or active components at the secondary side. The key is to integrate wireless power transfer (WPT) into a variable reluctance resolver to detect and transmit the rotor position. Compared with previous wireless SR motors adopting the Hall effect position encoder and Bluetooth communication, the robustness is highly improved, and the communication delay caused by the connection interval can be solved. Therefore, the proposed system takes the definite advantages of better dynamic performance and sealability. Besides, there is no need to specially design the SR motor, as all existing SR motors and other similar kinds of motors can readily employ this wireless resolver. An experimental prototype has been built for verification, which works well from 100 to 900 rpm with 20 mm WPT distance, and the additional power for position detection can be limited to 1.05 W while the motor consumes 54 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is to develop a new topology optimization framework that can secure the manufacturability of the synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs) with multiple iron webs and bridges while satisfying the required electromagnetic and mechanical performances. In the SynRM, multiple iron webs and bridges are crucial to achieve a higher torque and a structural safety. A minimum thickness of the web and bridge should also be guaranteed to achieve manufacturability. To acquire the optimal SynRM that can satisfy the above characteristics, a two-stage topology optimization framework is proposed with an individual filtering-and-penalization scheme. This proposed scheme can individually control the number and thickness of multiple iron webs and bridges in the rotor to obtain the manufacturable and structurally safe SynRMs. For the abovementioned purpose, topology optimization is formulated to minimize a torque ripple while satisfying the desired average torque, structural compliance, and a rotational moment of inertia. Average torque and structural compliance are evaluated by performing the electromagnetic and structural finite element analyses, respectively, at each iteration of topology optimization. Here, design-dependent loads are considered in the radial and circumferential directions to reflect a high-speed rotation. Through investigating the optimized SynRM designs with various filter radii, the relationship among the torque, structural pattern, and stress distribution is examined. Finally, the experimental results with the manufactured prototypes validate the feasibility and potential of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, model-based predictive current control (MB-PCC) has been presented as a good alternative to classical control algorithms in terms of simplicity and performance reliability. However, MB-PCC suffers from the high dependence on system parameters, which may deteriorate its performance under parameters variations. On the other hand, synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs) are susceptible to suffer from inductances variations due to the magnetic saturation. Accordingly, in this article a new model-free predictive current control of SynRMs based on a recurrent neural network (RNN-PCC) is developed and proposed. The proposed RNN-PCC relies on the identification of the SynRM currents without considering any parameters. Simulation and experimental results show that both RNN-PCC and MB-PCC have similarly excellent dynamics, while better control performance and tracking errors can be achieved thanks to the proposed RNN-PCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel position sensorless control for 6/4 switched reluctance motors (SRMs) using only one-phase current sensor in medium and high speed. In order to eliminate phase voltage sensors, a virtual phase voltage is established to replace the real-time phase voltage in the whole conduction cycle, so as to calculate the phase flux linkage which is called virtual flux linkage. A nonlinear model is utilized to estimate the reference flux linkage-curve of any rotor position. With only one-phase current sensor, the determination of turn off angle position and phase commutation position is achieved by the comparison of reference flux linkage and virtual flux linkage. The speed estimation is performed by two reference flux linkage-current curves at particular rotor positions. Based on the obtained turn off pulse of the present phase and the turn on pulse of next phase, the remaining trigger pulse signals of three phases are derived from a delay-time strategy. The proposed scheme requires only one-phase current sensor, without any pulse injection or complicated decoupling algorithm, achieving a simple and cost-effective drive. Simulations and experiments are carried out on a 6/4-pole prototype SRM drive system to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed sensorless control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate mover position is important for a planar switched reluctance motor (PSRM) to achieve precision positioning; however, position sensors are susceptible to the influence from harsh conditions and are relatively expensive. In this article, an assistant-mover-based position estimation method is proposed to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of a PSRM system. The method is based on a mapping relationship between the flux density and position of the assistant mover. First, the configuration of the assistant movers is presented. Then, an analytical model of the flux density of the assistant mover is developed by using an equivalent magnetic circuit method. Based on the analytical model, the parameters of the assistant mover are determined. According to the flux density characteristics, a position estimation algorithm with the advantages of not requiring previous experimental data, simple computation, and small memory consumption is developed. Moreover, considering the deviation in the characteristics of each assistant mover, a compensation strategy is proposed to obtain better position estimation accuracy. Finally, the proposed method is implemented with the PSRM system. The effectiveness of the proposed position estimation method is verified experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a position estimation method is proposed to realize sensorless control of planar switched reluctance motor (PSRM) with core loss. First, a square-wave voltage generated through bipolar pulsewidth modulation (PWM) is injected into the idle phase of a PSRM, thereby generating core loss. The corresponding core-loss average power (CLAP), which contains position information, is calculated in real time. Then, depending on the six-phase CLAP, the initial position can be estimated for the PSRM startup. To stabilize the position estimation in different regions of pole pitches, position data measured in a long stroke are utilized to determine a function mapping from the CLAP with respect to position. Furthermore, a sensorless control system and commutation strategy are designed. Finally, the capability of different methods for position estimation and sensorless control of a PSRM system are experimentally investigated. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified through the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a unified controller for switched reluctance motors is proposed for wide speed operations. The proposed controller achieves minimum output torque ripple at low and medium speeds and operates in a single-pulse mode at high speeds. Overlapping regions between the phases are controlled such that direct instantaneous torque control (DITC) and current control (CC) can be implemented simultaneously on different phases. This simplifies the torque sharing during commutation and minimizes torque ripple due to imperfect current tracking and mutual torque. A demagnetization curve concept to demagnetize the phase currents at an optimum angle is introduced to ensure high torque per ampere and single-pulse mode operation. This results in extending low ripple operation to medium speed ranges. The seamless combination of DITC, CC, and the demagnetization curves leads to torque ripple minimization, automatic excitation angle control, and smooth operation over a wide speed range. The effectiveness of the proposed unified controller is verified through simulation and experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new method for fast radial vibration computation in switched reluctance motors. Only a piecewise first-order linear function is used to calculate the total peak acceleration, which is rather fast. The overall radial vibration is the superposition of natural oscillation of each mode. Before that, several critical parameters need to be calculated or measured in advance, including weight factor, natural frequency and damping ratio of each mode, in order to obtain the respective analytical expression of natural oscillation of each mode. First, the total peak acceleration concerning the multiple of current and its slope is derived analytically from the perspective of abrupt change of radial force. Then, a simple method for calculating weight factors is presented for the distribution of peak acceleration of each mode from the total peak acceleration. Natural frequencies are measured and compared by three methods, including finite-element analysis, hammer impulse test, and dc pulse excitation. The calculation of damping ratio is improved since the traditional damping ratio calculation method cannot be used in a multiple degree-of-freedom system. Finally, both simulation and experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Most of the existing diagnosis techniques for interturn short circuits (ITSCs) in switched reluctance motors (SRMs) suffer from three major issues. 1) The problem of lower sensitivity where the system cannot detect an ITSC if a lower number of turns are short-circuited; 2) Interference of load variation on the detection reliability in which the fault index might initiate false alarm without any fault; 3) The dependency of the diagnosis system on the control strategy on which the motor is operating. This article proposes a novel method to diagnose ITSCs in SRMs independent of control schemes with better sensitivity and reliability using the signal injection technique. In SRMs, not all the phases take part in the torque production at any instant. The idle or inactive phase is injected with a high-frequency (HF) voltage signal for a preselected injection ratio within an electrical cycle. Any change in the winding parameters owing to an ITSC fault is deciphered by monitoring the HF currents generated in the phase windings. The results are validated experimentally for a four-phase 8/6 SRM employing two control strategies: 1) chopped current control and 2) angle position control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to the absence of rotor windings and permanent magnets, switched reluctance motors have a small weight construction. The integration of a modular power converter in a switched reluctance motor leads to a highly compact and fault-tolerant motor drive with small weight and high power density. In this article, a polygon-retrofitted integration topology is proposed for switched reluctance motors. Both the switched reluctance motor and the power converter are cooled with one shared cooling circuit. The power converter is designed and implemented using silicon carbide technology for its low losses and small thermal resistance. The proposed integration topology is extensively studied using multiphysics modeling and experimental measurements on a fully integrated rotating setup. A highly compact and power dense drive of 3.1 kW/L is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel method to reduce rotor movement when estimating magnetic flux models for interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSMs) and synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs). A rotation reduction technique that considers the flux saturation effect is proposed. A hysteresis controller is used to inject voltages only into the q-axis and simultaneously into the dq-axes. The rotation of the IPMSM is reduced by calculating the current at the point where the integral of the q-axis current over time becomes zero. In the case of SynRM, the rotation is reduced by calculating the injection voltage magnitudes such that the oscillation frequency of the q-axis current is higher than that of the d-axis current. The effectiveness of the proposed method was experimentally demonstrated using an 11-kW IPMSM and 1.5-kW SynRM. The proposed technique can be used for the self-commissioning of IPMSMs and SynRMs at a standstill, without rotor locking, or position sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an improved direct instantaneous torque control (DITC) based on adaptive terminal sliding mode control (ATSMC) is proposed to suppress torque ripple and enhance the anti-interference ability for switched reluctance motors (SRMs). The proposed speed controller used in the outer loop of DITC is based on the rate of change in load torque. The state of the system converges quickly to the equilibrium point and realizes fast output of the given torque without known disturbance upper bound. Moreover, a novel reaching law is proposed to reduce torque ripple and startup time. The stability of the adaptive terminal sliding mode motion is verified by using the Lyapunov function. The improved DITC system is implemented on a 16/10 segmented-rotor SRM. Compared with sliding mode control and terminal sliding mode control, the proposed ATSMC in the DITC system behave with better performances in aspects of the speed and torque response, antiinterference ability, robustness, and torque ripple suppression. Simulation and experimental results are given to verify the effectiveness of the improved DITC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel online-modeling scheme for the switched reluctance motor (SRM) using a B-spline neural network (BSNN) is proposed in this paper. A 2-D BSNN is designed to learn the nonlinear-flux-linkage characteristic of an SRM online and in real-time. Torque, incremental inductance, and back-emf estimates can be derived from the BSNN after training. The scheme does not require a priori knowledge of the SRM electromagnetic characteristics. Simulation and experimental results show that the scheme has a good estimation performance and robustness at low to medium motor speed. Index Terms--Modeling, neural networks, nonlinear estimation, reluctance motors.

Synchronous reluctance (SyR) motors are well suited to a zero-speed sensorless control, because of their inherently salient behavior. However, the cross-saturation effect can lead to large errors on the position estimate, which is based on the differential anisotropy. These errors are quantified in the paper, as a function of the working point. The so-calculated errors are then found in good accordance with the purposely obtained experimental measurements. The impact of the amplitude of the carrier voltage is then pointed out, leading to a mixed (carrier injection plus electromotive force estimation) control scheme. Last, a scheme of this type is used, with a commercial transverse-laminated SyR motor. The robustness against cross-saturation is shown, in practice, and the obtained drive performance is pointed out proving to be effective for a general-purpose application. Index Terms--Cross-saturation effect, sensorless ac drives, sensorless control, synchronous reluctance (SyR) motor.

High-efficiency control of synchronous reluctance motors (SynRMs) is very important in the sense of energy saving and conservation of the natural environment because the efficiency of the SynRM is generally lower than that of other types of ac motors. This paper presents a high-efficiency control strategy for the SynRMs. In this strategy, the d- and q-axes currents are controlled instantaneously. Since the control performance mainly depends on the accuracy of the machine parameters, online parameter estimation using the extended Kalman filter is incorporated into the control strategy. This control strategy improved the drive efficiency and robust performance against machine parameter variations. The validity of the proposed scheme is demonstrated through experimental results. Index Terms--Extended Kalman filter (EKF), high-efficiency control, online estimation, synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM).

Switched reluctance motors (SRMs) have been considered as low-cost machines for electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid EV applications. However, the current sensors used in the system will not only increase the cost and volume but also degrade the running reliability of the motor drives. Conventionally, the current sensors are used in each phase winding individually to obtain these phase currents. To reduce the number of current sensors, a four-phase 8/6-pole SRM is applied to analyze the working states, and a novel phase current reconstruction method from the dc-link current employing double high-frequency pulses injection is then proposed. Two kinds of high-frequency pulses with large duty cycles and phase shift are injected to the down switches in each phase, respectively, when the phase currents are overlapped in the turn-on region, and the dc-link current is decomposed to reconstruct phase currents in both current chopping control system and single pulse control system. The transient performance in a closed-loop system based on the phase current reconstruction scheme is investigated. The proposed method uses only one current sensor in the dc link and requires no additional circuits. The simulation and experimental results are presented to confirm the implementation of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new nonlinear lumped parameter model is proposed for a switched reluctance motor (SRM) with core losses. The components of the model and their origin are justified by finite-element simulations and experimental tests. The winding resistance and the leakage inductance are analyzed by different methods taken from the literature, and a new algorithm is proposed to overcome their shortcomings such as the nonbiunivocal flux linkage versus current relationship. In contrast to previous works, the nonlinear elements for modeling the magnetic core, such as the incremental magnetizing inductance and the core-loss resistance, are determined together and simultaneously for each value of the phase current and the rotor position. The performance of the new model and the methodology proposed for estimating its components are analyzed for different excitation types and rotor positions. The core losses are evaluated by the proposed model and by two well-known predictive models, and the results are compared to illustrate the suitability of the former. Finally, the dynamic behavior of the model, acting as an ac self-excited generator, is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The diode bridge rectifier fed asymmetric half-bridge converter (AHBC) is conventionally employed to drive switched reluctance motors (SRMs), which leads to poor grid-side power quality. In the proposed system, a topology made up of a voltage-sourced converter and an AHBC is employed to drive the high-speed SRM. Stable SRM operation can be obtained by manipulating the active power flowing to motor side, and on the basis of that, the grid-side power quality is enhanced by directly manipulating input reactive power. Predictive deadbeat control with disturbance observer is employed to follow the power references, thereby achieving controllable speed, energy feedback, near-unity grid-side power factor, and low grid-side current distortion simultaneously. Additionally, an improved asymmetric modulation method is developed for switching frequency reduction. Experiments are carried out to test the proposed drive system in steady and dynamic conditions. Performance comparisons validate the improvement of the proposed high-speed SRM drive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers nonlinear adaptive control of a variable reluctance motor (VRM) in a low-velocity high-torque mode of operation. A simple dynamic model for the relationship among electric torque, rotor angular position, and phase currents is proposed. The model incorporates spline functions and a set of 'Fourier' sinusoids and captures several experimentally verified VRM characteristics, including flux saturation effects. based on this model, an adaptive controller is derived using the certainty equivalence principle. The controller provides asymptotic tracking of a desired rotor position trajectory. So-called 'torque-sharing functions' are employed to smooth the commutation among phases and to increase the peak torque available from the motor, when compared to 'hard' commutation that energizes only one phase at a time. Experimental results from a laboratory VRM provide motivation for the model and illustrate the controller's design and trajectory tracking performance. Index Terms - Adaptive control, asymptotic stability, nonlinear magnetics, numerical control, reluctance motors, rotating machine nonlinear analysis, spline functions.

This paper addresses a basic control issue in switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives - the production of a ripple-free torque. Simple and largely model-independent conventional supply waveforms are not able to satisfy this requirement. The goal of this paper is to improve SRM dynamical performance by compensating for motor nonlinearities, while maintaining the robustness of conventional methods. The method is based on a complete parameterization of position-dependent voltage and current profiles in ripple-free operation, and on a waveform optimization to minimize power supply requirements. Furthermore, model uncertainties are included to show that the proposed strategy consistently outperforms the conventional policy. Experimental data verifying the analytical approach are included. Index Terms - Nonlinear systems, reluctance motor drives, torque control.

This paper examines the feasibility of using artificial neural networks (ANN's) and evolutionary algorithms (EA's) to develop discrete time dynamic models for fault-free and faulted switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive systems. SRM's are capable of functioning despite the presence of faults. Faults impart transient changes to machine inductances that are difficult to model analytically. After this transient period, SRM's are capable of functioning at a reduced level of performance. ANN's are applied for their well-known interpolation capabilities for highly nonlinear systems. A dynamical model for the SRM is constructed by feeding values for state variables back to ANN inputs. EA's are employed for their ability to search complex structural and parameter spaces to find good ANN solutions. Furthermore, the ANN structure and training regimen parameters are searched using EA's. Finally, an analysis of the search is performed, and the resulting model is presented. The results of using the ANN-EA-based model to predict the performance characteristics of prototype SRM drive motion under normal and abnormal operating conditions are presented and verified by comparison to test data. Index Terms - Fault tolerance, finite element methods, genetic algorithms, neural network applications, switched reluctance motors.

In this article, a leaf spring insertion to the stator back iron is proposed to reduce vibration and acoustic noise in a switched reluctance machine (SRM). The back iron of the tooth tip is curved out and the material made up of carbon spring steel is placed to dampen the vibration due to radial force. A 6/4 stator/rotor pole SRM is designed and its natural vibration mode frequencies are determined through finite-element analyses. The optimal current waveform is applied to the SRM model using the multidisciplinary coupled simulation method to determine the radial force with the harmonic orders. In the final step, the proposed leaf spring architecture is optimized to achieve the most dampening for the effective radial force harmonic orders. The simulation and experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the leaf spring insertion in reducing the noise and vibration in SRMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their robustness and adaptability, position estimators based on the extended Kalman filter have been used in permanent magnet synchronous motors for decades. The time has come to extend their use to reluctance motors as well and this work focuses on the elements that hinder the transition. All passes through the availability of an accurate and analytical magnetic model, which is obtained by Artificial Intelligence tools. It is proved that the sensorless control of synchronous reluctance motors using the extended Kalman filter is possible over broad speed and torque ranges. The experimental session compares different implementation possibilities, concluding with the proposal of a new hybrid algorithm that greatly reduces the computational load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the numerical modeling of a classical switched reluctance motor (SRM) and a mutually coupled SRM (MCSRM); both have three phases with 12 slots and 8 poles. The multiphysics models have been developed, which can take into account the electromagnetic characteristics, mechanical vibration, and acoustic noise of the foregoing machines. A 2-D electromagnetic model has been used to calculate the magnetic force which is the main source of vibration of the entire motor system. The vibration of the motor is calculated by a mode superposition method, while the acoustic noise is predicted by a 3-D finite-element acoustic model. In order to validate the numerical models, experiments have been carried out. A good agreement between measured and numerical results has been observed, and it is found that the vibration and the noise levels of MCSRM are considerably lower than those of classical SRM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article proposes an online diagnosis scheme for transistor faults of asymmetric half-bridge converter (AHBC) in switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives. In order to extract more information from the phase current to identify faults, based on the conventional current measurement method, two novel current measurement methods are presented by reconstructing current sensors. According to the novel current measurement methods, a current prediction method is raised. The phase current at the kth sampling time is available so that the estimated current can be calculated. The fault can be detected and located by analyzing the given and actual switching states, which are deduced by comparing the measured and estimated currents. Compared with existing methods, the proposed scheme can be applied to diagnosis of multiple faults in n-phase AHBC, which can operate at various control strategies and chopping modes. With a single current sensor in each phase, the scheme will not increase the cost and complexity of the SRM drive. Furthermore, the scheme does not require complicated computation, making it easy to implement online. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness and flexibility of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a low-ripple continuous control set (CCS) model predictive torque control (MPTC) method for switched reluctance machines (SRMs) is proposed. The inherent high nonlinearity of the SRMs makes it difficult to solve the optimization problem in the CCS MPTC algorithm analytically. To address this issue, an equivalent linear SRM model is adopted, and the cost function is also properly modified. Then, with the torque boundary values provided by executing the voltage vectors of an improved switching table, the optimization problem in the CCS MPTC method becomes simple and analytically solvable. The Lagrange multiplier method is employed to solve this optimization problem analytically and generate the optimum torque reference values for the active phases. Based on the estimated torque variation rates, the duty cycles for each phase are calculated. Extensive simulation and experimental tests are carried out in a four-phase 8/6 SRM setup. These testing results reveal that the proposed CCS MPTC method shows much lower torque ripples and current ripples in a wide speed range with a low computational burden than the existing finite control set MPTC methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a magnetic flux saturation model that well represents the cross saturation of synchronous reluctance machines (SynRMs) and a parameter estimation method of the proposed saturation model. Existing magnetic flux models do not satisfy the reciprocity condition or express cross saturation well. The proposed flux saturation model consists of terms for self-saturation and cross saturation, and it expresses well the nonlinear relationship between current and flux of SynRMs, as well as satisfies the reciprocity condition. The data of flux saturation are obtained at standstill using the hysteresis voltage injection method. Using the flux saturation data, the parameters of the flux saturation model are estimated. Because the proposed magnetic flux saturation model includes an arctangent function, it is not possible to estimate parameters directly using the linear least-squares method (LSM). However, the proposed parameter estimation method integrates the self-saturation model and transforms it into a polynomial to which linear LSM can be applied. In addition, parameters related to cross saturation are also estimated using linear LSM. Therefore, the proposed parameter estimation method is easy to implement and can be applied to general-purposed inverter products. The effectiveness of the proposed model and its identification method are experimentally evaluated with a 1.5-kW SynRM. Additionally, the identified model is verified with the accuracy of the maximum torque per ampere table and the performance of sensorless control of the tested motor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a simplified pulsewidth modulation (PWM) strategy is proposed for open-winding flux modulated doubly-salient reluctance motor (FMDRM) drives for switching action minimization and common-mode voltage (CMV) reduction. Conventionally, the open-winding converter topology is utilized to achieve the zero-sequence current flow path and dc-biased sinusoidal current excitation for the FMDRM, where the switching actions of power switches are doubled compared to the conventional modular three-phase converter, leading to higher switching losses. Different from the conventional space vector PWM scheme, the reference voltages of converter legs are directly calculated by the reference phase voltages in the proposed PWM scheme. In addition, a rotor-position-based sector division method is proposed to deal with the sector imbalance caused by the distorted back electromotive force (back EMF). Furthermore, different leg voltage clamping methods are respectively developed in odd and even sectors for switching action minimization, which can achieve voltage stress balance and CMV reduction. With the proposed scheme, the switching actions in each switching cycle can be reduced by half, which effectively increases the system efficiency of the FMDRM drive. Experiments are carried out on a three-phase 12/8 FMDRM prototype to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-level cascade structure is proposed for the control of a variable reluctance (VR) motor. In order to deal with the highly nonlinear behavior of VR motors, the controlling system includes two variable-structure controllers for current and velocity loops as well as an intermediate torque-sharing compensator. The intermediate compensator has been designed by means of nonlinear optimization techniques in order to reduce the torque ripple and to get the maximum motor velocity. The proposed controller has been validated through extensive simulation experiments. The architecture of a prototype controller is presented and the actual performance measured on a VR motor is discussed in comparison with simulations. The results show practical feasibility and good performance of the proposed controller, which is also suitable for a very simple and quite inexpensive fully hardware implementation.

The phase excitation pulses of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive need to be properly synchronized with the rotor position for optimum torque production. Accuracy of this position information determines the efficiency and smoothness of the drive operation. This paper presents a method of analyzing the errors inherent to indirect rotor position sensing schemes. The error analysis in this paper breaks down the position error to its fundamental components in the position sensing system. As an illustration, the method is applied to two different indirect position sensing schemes. The same basic approach can be applied to evaluate other SRM position sensing schemes. The results are helpful in comparing the various sensing schemes, as well as focusing improvement efforts on the appropriate segment of the system.

Multiphysics analysis and experimental validation of acoustic noise reduction in a high pole count, high power, switched reluctance machine (SRM), through skewing are explored in detail in this work. An iterative optimization strategy covering electromagnetic, structural, and thermal domains is proposed to investigate the effect of different skewing methods and angles on a 24-stator slot/16-rotor pole (24/16) SRM rated at 100 kW. The contributions of this work are twofold. First, electromagnetic impact, considering average torque, torque ripple, radial and tangential air gap forces, of symmetric and asymmetric skewing on stator and rotor is studied in this work. Second, the impact of skewing methods on acoustic noise and vibration performance is studied and presented in detail. The study reveals that skewing both the stator and rotor by the same amount has superior electromagnetic performance over other types of skewing. Multiphysics simulations conducted, predict a 10.5 dBA reduction in the acoustic noise, compared to a baseline design with no skew, for an optimized rotor-stator skewing angle of 13.75°. Finally, 100 kW prototypes of the baseline and the optimized skewed SRM were constructed and subjected to wide speed range testing. Simulation and test results closely follow each other and validate the effectiveness of the proposed skew design in mitigating acoustic noise and vibration in high pole count SRMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article proposes an effective model of synchronous reluctance machines. This model, called the Residual Magnetism (ReMa) model, takes into account not only residual magnetism within the rotor but also that within the stator. Electromotive forces generated by the ReMa model were composed of two frequencies and exhibited similar shapes as those measured in experiments. Resultant equations in a three-phase $(a,b,c)$ frame and in a Park reference frame $(d,q)$ were revealed. The comparison was made with the classical model of synchronous reluctance machine commonly used. Experimental tests were carried out to prove the effectiveness of the ReMa model which was also compared to a classical counterpart in the case where a synchronous reluctance generator was connected to a three-phase diode rectifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a novel instantaneous electromagnetic torque modeling technique and current component distribution strategy are proposed for torque ripple reduction in three-phase flux modulated doubly-salient reluctance motor (FMDRM) drives. First, the analytical model of the instantaneous electromagnetic torque of a three-phase FMDRM is established, where the contributions of current components and harmonic inductance components are considered. The generation mechanisms of the average torque and torque ripple components are investigated in detail. Furthermore, based on the analytical instantaneous electromagnetic torque model, a simplified current component distribution strategy is proposed to further reduce the torque ripple of the FMDRM. Taking the torque ripple minimization as the optimization objective, the current advanced angle is optimized and the corresponding current component distribution strategy is carried out to reduce the torque ripple. The magnetic circuit saturation effect is also taken into account. Compared to the conventional scheme, the control freedom degree of the three-dimensional current controller in the FMDRM drive is fully utilized and the torque ripple of the FMDRM can be significantly reduced without the sacrifice of output torque capability and system efficiency. Experimental results are carried out on a three-phase 12/8 FMDRM prototype to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a simple method to calculate a current vector trajectory for the enhanced operation of the electric power generation system based on a synchronous reluctance machine (SynRM). Owing to magnetic saturation and cross magnetization, the performance and the torque capability of a SynRM vary according to the position and the value of the stator current. State-of-the-art control methods usually assume parameters with constant values, especially the inductance, neglecting saturation, leading to possible uncertainty in the machine operation. Therefore, a current vector trajectory to operate this type of machine, as a generator, in an extended speed range, with enhanced performance and considering magnetic saturation is proposed. A straightforward algorithm based on the inductance characteristic of the machine is used to calculate the trajectory of the stator current vector. This trajectory is evaluated via the numerical simulation of an experimentally validated finite-element model of a SynRM. The results show that the proposed current vector trajectory can improve the torque capability to 5% concerning the estimated trajectory without considering saturation. Experimental results are also provided to demonstrate the enhanced operation of the generator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a novel multiple three-phase PM assisted synchronous reluctance machine with delta windings is proposed for enhanced fault tolerance. The delta connected windings offer an additional degree of freedom of the phase currents. Hence, this machine drive could provide higher torque under phase open-circuit condition. More importantly, the delta windings inherently contain zero sequence current path and could help reducing the turn fault current in the event of the most challenging turn short-circuit fault. Owing to the zero sequence current, the residual flux linkage of the fault turn is more effectively nullified leading to lower fault current. The proposed machine performance together with fault tolerant capability under various fault scenarios are investigated and compared with the star connected winding machine by detailed finite element simulation and experimental tests. It shows that the two machines have the same performance under healthy condition whilst the delta winding machine exhibits higher fault tolerance. These advantages are achieved simply by changing the winding connections without any extra cost. Thus, it is more favorable for the fault tolerant applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we deal with design considerations of a new ac hybrid-excitation permanent-magnet machine with axial stator. Due to the presence of an axial stator, the machine features a typical three-dimensional geometric structure and field distribution. A simplified reluctance-based network is developed to capture the main design features of the machine. The analytical equations are deduced relating the main geometric dimensions to the machine design criteria: speed, power, and flux regulation capability. The influence of key machine geometric parameters, i.e., radial/axial air-gap length, stack length, and bore diameter, on output power, flux density, and flux regulation capability is investigated. It is found that there is a design tradeoff between the machine power density and flux regulation capability. The d/q-axis inductance and its ratio, which has an influence on flux weakening capability and operation performance, is examined. Finally, a 6-pole/36-slot prototype is built. Intensive experimental tests are carried out to verify the machine characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A typical flywheel energy storage system (FESS) includes an electrical machine, a flywheel, and magnetic bearings, which are independent of each other. Therefore, the structure of FESS is complicated, which leads to the problems of high cost and low integration. This article presents a novel stator PM excitation solid rotor machine (SPE-SRM) for FESS, which integrates an electrical machine, flywheels, and a magnetic bearing. The design method of the SPE-SRM is presented specifically. First, the structure and operation principle of the SPE-SRM are illustrated. Second, the design and optimization of the flywheel-rotor are presented with considering of power, energy storage, and mechanical strength. Third, the magnetic equivalent circuit of the SPE-SRM is established to simplify the design. Besides, the armature reaction and leakage flux factor are investigated. Fourth, the performance indexes, including torque, suspension force, no-load back electromotive force (back-EMF), losses, and temperature rise are fully analyzed by the finite element analysis. Finally, a 22 kW prototype is manufactured and tested. The rationality of the concept and design is validated by experiments. The SPE-SRM has the merits of high integration, robust structure, and low cost, so it has the potential for wide application in FESS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]