The development of an add-on sensorless position estimator for a 4.8 m Linear Switched Reluctance Machine (LSRM) with minimal modifications to the transducer-based controller is investigated for the first time in this study. LSRMs require position feedback for closed-loop control but present a low cost, high energy efficiency alternative for linear actuation due to their rugged construction and single-sided excitation. Mechanical position transducers mounted on the vehicle are expensive and can impact reliability. The use of a sensorless position estimator removes all electronics from the passive vehicle, resulting in considerable reductions in cost, maintenance, and mechanical complexity. This study examines the use of an add-on processor and data acquisition system for sensorless position estimation. An approach exploiting the active phase windings is used to preserve the normal operation of the transducer-based DSP controller with the goal of limiting reductions in high performance features such as force ripple reduction and velocity control [3]. The estimator system is retrofit to the transducer-based DSP controller by mimicking the output of a mechanical position sensor by emulating a Quadrature encoder. The feasibility and design issues for an add-on or retrofit position estimator are investigated. Although sensorless schemes for rotary Switched Reluctance Machines (SRMs) have been studied in detail, the problem of sensorless implementations for LSRMs has not been addressed. Experimental validation of the proposed sensorless estimation scheme is attempted, but closed-loop operation is not achieved successfully due to air gap fluctuations. In depth analysis of the sources and propagation of error is presented. / Master of Science

Thesis (PhD (Electric and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The focus of this thesis is on the critical evaluation of the torque performance of the optimum designed reluctance DC machine (RDCM). The thesis focuses on multi-phase RDCM drives with normal laminated salient pole rotors allowing for high power and high-speed applications. An RDCM is a normal reluctance synchronous machine (RSM) but with direct control of flux and torque just as in brush DC machines. Flux and torque of the RDCM are controlled directly by the use of special phase current waveforms. Specific attention is given in the thesis for the selection of the best current waveform for the RDCM allowing for smooth rotating airgap MMF and less ripple torque. The absolute optimum designed RDCM can best be obtained by the use of the finite element (FE) method in the design optimisation process. In this thesis a multi-dimensional FE based design optimisation method for the optimum design of the current controlled RDCM is implemented. To compare the torque performance of the RDCM with other RSMs the torque performances of optimum designed 3-phase, 5-phase and 5-phase with the injection of third harmonic current RSMs are performed under the same copper losses and stack volume. The torque performances of RSMs are done with both salient pole rotor and the round rotor with internal flux barriers. The armature reaction effect of 6-phase RDCMs is also investigated in detail by considering three different rotor structures. These rotor structures are the standard salient pole rotor, the salient pole rotor with slitted poles and the salient pole rotor with chamfered poles. It was shown that the RDCM with the salient pole rotor has a severe armature reaction effect, which can be reduced by slitted or chamfered salient pole rotors. A per-phase equivalent circuit model of the 6-phase RDCM is also proposed in this thesis. The torque of the machine is calculated based on the per-phase equivalent model and compared with the torque calculated by the FE Maxwell stress tensor method. There is a good agreement between these calculated torques. This thesis shows that the implemented FE based optimisation method can be applied with success to optimally design current controlled RDCMs. It was found, amongst other things, that the torque performance of the optimum designed 6-phase RDCM is slightly higher than that of the optimum designed 5-phase RSM with the injection of 3rd harmonic currents and with the same copper losses and stack volume. The analytical and FE calculated results are confirmed by measured results on a 35 kW 6-phase RDCM drive.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING / Includes bibliographical references. / by William Robert Gandler. / M.S.

Para acompanhar o atual crescimento de demanda energética mundial, novas topologias de geradores estão sendo pesquisadas, estando nesse nicho o Gerador a Relutância Chaveado. Para seu correto funcionamento é necessário que técnicas de controle sejam empregadas para garantir níveis estáveis de tensão gerada mediante variações de velocidade e/ou carga. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma metodologia de um controlador fuzzy da tensão gerada para a máquina em questão. Uma simulação em Matlab Simulink é apresentada para um sistema de geração de energia utilizando um gerador a relutância chaveado integrada com a malha de controle fuzzy. Resultados da dinâmica do funcionamento do controlador fuzzy são apresentados. O Controlador fuzzy proposto apresentou bom desempenho ao manter a tensão gerada em níveis desejáveis frente a distúrbios de carga e de variação de velocidade no eixo do gerador. Trata-se de um controlador robusto e versátil que garante estabilidade de tensão gerada mesmo com a operação do sistema com velocidade variável e/ou variação de carga. / Due to the growing demand of electric power energy, the engineering has to evolve by producing new efficient techniques and low cost equipment. Therefore, new electric power generator topologies have been studied, mainly switched reluctance generators due to their simple structure, reliability and low cost of fabrication. In order for a good operation of a switched reluctance generator, control techniques have to be applied to guarantee stable voltage levels under variable speed and load conditions. Hence, the objective of this work is to present a methodology based on fuzzy voltage controller for switched reluctance machine. Simulations are achieved in Matlab/Simulink for a power energy generation system using a switched reluctance generator with a fuzzy control loop. Results of the dynamic response of such controller are presented. The fuzzy controller could obtain good performance maintaining voltage levels in desired range. Therefore, the proposed controller showed to be robust, versatile and guarantee the voltage stability under speed and load variations.

A finalidade inicial deste estudo é desenvolver uma metodologia de análise da ondulação de torque de um motor de relutância chaveado especial bifásico com 4 pólos no estator e 2 no rotor (MRC 4/2) através de dados experimentais de aceleração. De forma a validar o método proposto, são apresentados resultados experimentais de aceleração obtidos com dois rotores: o rotor de referência e o rotor otimizado. Uma vez alcançados os objetivos de otimização do torque através da modificação da geometria do rotor, implementou-se um estudo complementar de modo a explorar a vibração e a ondulação de torque, do ponto de vista do acionamento. Desta forma, desenvolveu-se uma plataforma digital de testes, onde os dados de aceleração podem ser monitorados no domínio da frequência, e os parâmetros de controle do acionamento, tais como, a velocidade, os ângulos de ligamento e condução são flexíveis e podem ser alterados através de programa. A plataforma digital foi concebida a partir de um kit de desenvolvimento (eZdsp LF2407A) associado a uma interface de controle serial, desenvolvida a partir de um aplicativo LabView, instalado num microcomputador. / The initial purpose of this study is to develop a methodology of analysis of the torque ripple of a two-phase special SRM 4/2 using acceleration experimental data. In order to validate the proposed method, acceleration experimental results are presented, these results were obtained with two rotors: the reference rotor and the optimized rotor. Once the torque optimization objectives were reached by modifying the rotor geometry, a complementary study from the point of view of motor drive vibration and torque ripple optimization was carried out. Thus, a test digital setup was developed, where the acceleration data could be monitored, in the frequency domain, and the drive control parameters, such as speed, turn-on and dwell angles, and phase current were flexible and could be altered by program. The test digital setup was conceived using a development kit (eZdsp LF2407A) associated with a serial control interface developed on a LabView application, installed in a microcomputer.

Para acompanhar o atual crescimento de demanda energética mundial, novas topologias de geradores estão sendo pesquisadas, estando nesse nicho o Gerador a Relutância Chaveado. Para seu correto funcionamento é necessário que técnicas de controle sejam empregadas para garantir níveis estáveis de tensão gerada mediante variações de velocidade e/ou carga. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma metodologia de um controlador fuzzy da tensão gerada para a máquina em questão. Uma simulação em Matlab Simulink é apresentada para um sistema de geração de energia utilizando um gerador a relutância chaveado integrada com a malha de controle fuzzy. Resultados da dinâmica do funcionamento do controlador fuzzy são apresentados. O Controlador fuzzy proposto apresentou bom desempenho ao manter a tensão gerada em níveis desejáveis frente a distúrbios de carga e de variação de velocidade no eixo do gerador. Trata-se de um controlador robusto e versátil que garante estabilidade de tensão gerada mesmo com a operação do sistema com velocidade variável e/ou variação de carga. / Due to the growing demand of electric power energy, the engineering has to evolve by producing new efficient techniques and low cost equipment. Therefore, new electric power generator topologies have been studied, mainly switched reluctance generators due to their simple structure, reliability and low cost of fabrication. In order for a good operation of a switched reluctance generator, control techniques have to be applied to guarantee stable voltage levels under variable speed and load conditions. Hence, the objective of this work is to present a methodology based on fuzzy voltage controller for switched reluctance machine. Simulations are achieved in Matlab/Simulink for a power energy generation system using a switched reluctance generator with a fuzzy control loop. Results of the dynamic response of such controller are presented. The fuzzy controller could obtain good performance maintaining voltage levels in desired range. Therefore, the proposed controller showed to be robust, versatile and guarantee the voltage stability under speed and load variations.

A finalidade inicial deste estudo é desenvolver uma metodologia de análise da ondulação de torque de um motor de relutância chaveado especial bifásico com 4 pólos no estator e 2 no rotor (MRC 4/2) através de dados experimentais de aceleração. De forma a validar o método proposto, são apresentados resultados experimentais de aceleração obtidos com dois rotores: o rotor de referência e o rotor otimizado. Uma vez alcançados os objetivos de otimização do torque através da modificação da geometria do rotor, implementou-se um estudo complementar de modo a explorar a vibração e a ondulação de torque, do ponto de vista do acionamento. Desta forma, desenvolveu-se uma plataforma digital de testes, onde os dados de aceleração podem ser monitorados no domínio da frequência, e os parâmetros de controle do acionamento, tais como, a velocidade, os ângulos de ligamento e condução são flexíveis e podem ser alterados através de programa. A plataforma digital foi concebida a partir de um kit de desenvolvimento (eZdsp LF2407A) associado a uma interface de controle serial, desenvolvida a partir de um aplicativo LabView, instalado num microcomputador. / The initial purpose of this study is to develop a methodology of analysis of the torque ripple of a two-phase special SRM 4/2 using acceleration experimental data. In order to validate the proposed method, acceleration experimental results are presented, these results were obtained with two rotors: the reference rotor and the optimized rotor. Once the torque optimization objectives were reached by modifying the rotor geometry, a complementary study from the point of view of motor drive vibration and torque ripple optimization was carried out. Thus, a test digital setup was developed, where the acceleration data could be monitored, in the frequency domain, and the drive control parameters, such as speed, turn-on and dwell angles, and phase current were flexible and could be altered by program. The test digital setup was conceived using a development kit (eZdsp LF2407A) associated with a serial control interface developed on a LabView application, installed in a microcomputer.

This thesis aims to design and develop LSPM motors capable of operating in two distant synchronous speeds with good starting torque and steady state characteristics for variety of industrial applications, in particular offshore and maritime applications. The proposed designs are based on variable pole numbers for the stator and the rotor. The stator winding consist of two independent windings with different pole numbers to switch the winding and change the operating pole count for low and high speed applications. For the motor to operate in these two distinct operating speeds, the rotor must be capable of creating two different magnetic polarities (pole numbers) to adapt itself to the stator operating pole number. For this purpose, two different schemes for the rotor structure are proposed. In scheme I two-speed operation is realized by the combination of electromagnetic torque and reluctance torque which enables the motor to operate as a synchronous PM motor at high speed and synchronous reluctance motor at low speed. In scheme II, rotor with dual PM polarity is proposed which enables the motor to operate as a PM motor at both low and high speed regions.

Ce travail propose une méthode de compensation des vibrations à l'aide d'actionneurs piézoélectriques appliquée à des structures type stator de machines à réluctance variable, dans le but d'en diminuer le bruit acoustique. L'étude précise la problématique du bruit émis par ces machines, et analyse les composantes de vibration à compenser. L'introduction des actionneurs piézoélectriques et leur utilisation pour la compensation des vibrations nous ont amené à développer un modèle analytique de l'action des pastilles sur la structure. Ce dernier est comparé aux résultats obtenus par la méthode des éléments finis, puis utilisé afin d'optimiser le dimensionnement et le placement de ces actionneurs. Plusieurs contrôleurs numériques sont développés et testés sur des prototypes expérimentaux pour valider l'efficacité de la solution. Enfin, une étude de l'effet d'échelle pour évaluer la viabilité de cette compensation sur des structures plus importantes termine le mémoire.

Le domaine de la traction électrique a suscité un très grand intérêt dans les dernières années. La conception optimale de l'ensemble moteur électrique de traction - onduleur doit prendre en compte une variété de critères et contraintes. Étant donnée la liaison entre la géométrie du moteur et la stratégie de commande de l'onduleur, l'optimisation de l'ensemble de traction doit prendre en considération, en même temps, les deux composants.L'objectif de la thèse est la conception d'un outil d'optimisation appliqué à un système de traction électrique légère qu'emploie un moteur à réluctance variable alimenté (MRVCE) par un onduleur triphasé en pont complet. Le MRVCE est modélisé en utilisant la technique par réseau de perméances. En même temps, la technique de commande électronique peut être facilement intégrée dans le modèle pour effectuer l'analyse dynamique du fonctionnement du moteur. L'outil d'optimisation réalisé utilise l'algorithme par essaim de particules, modifié pour résoudre des problèmes multi-objectif. Les objectifs sont liés à la qualité des caractéristiques de fonctionnement du moteur, en temps que les variables d'optimisation concernent la géométrie du moteur aussi que la technique de commande. Les performances de l'algorithme sont comparées avec ceux de l'algorithme génétique (NSGA-II) et d'une implémentation classique de l'algorithme par essaim de particules multi-objectif.Finalement, un prototype de moteur à réluctance variable est construit et le fonctionnement du MRVCE alimenté depuis l'onduleur triphasé en pont complet est implémenté et les outils de modélisation et d'optimisation sont validés