Closer attention has been given to the acoustic noise performance of electric motors as electrified powertrains penetrate into the transportation system. Particularly, switched reluctance machines (SRMs) introduce a new challenge to the acoustic noise aspects given that the radial force harmonics can excite the natural frequencies of the main circumferential modes. A practical understanding of the radial force density decomposition is crucial in identifying the primary source of acoustic noise at different operating points, and it is one of the contributions of this thesis. An analytical expression is introduced to identify the temporal harmonic orders that excite different spatial mode shapes. The mode excitation is investigated along with the sound pressure level (SPL) produced by the primary vibrating mode shapes. Acoustic noise characteristics for each mode and the corresponding natural frequency at different speeds have been analyzed by using a waterfall plot. The acoustic noise generation by conventionally controlled SRMs prevents its use on applications where acoustic comfort is required. Acoustic noise is radiated by the stator frame when a vibration mode is excited by the respective spatial order at a forcing frequency that is close to the stator's modal natural frequency. The excitation surface wave is the radial force density waveform as a function of time and spatial position. From the harmonic content analysis, a phase radial force shaping method is for switched reluctance machines is proposed. A generic function for the radial force shape is identified, whose parameters are calculated by an optimization algorithm to minimize the torque ripple for a given average torque. From the phase radial force, a current reference is obtained. The proposed methodology is experimentally validated, with a four-phase 8/6 SRM, by acoustic noise measurements at different speeds and load torque conditions. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Switched reluctance machines (SRMs) are well known for their simple and robust structure, facilitating their increasing application in many sectors, for example vacuum cleaners, where domestic machines operate at high-speed, 50,000 RPM being typical. Conventional SRMs (CSRMs) use a decoupled concentrated phase winding so that torque is predominantly only generated due to the self-inductance, which limits utilization of the machine electrical circuits. In this thesis, the toroidal winding SRM (TSRM) is introduced, which operates based on the variation of mutual inductance between different phases. The toroidal winding introduces additional winding space, and the winding is practically easy to implement, both features that lead to a relatively higher copper filling factor. The toroidal winding also benefits the machine thermal performance, as the winding is directly exposed on the machine periphery and thus accessible to cooling. All these make TSRMs interesting and meaningful for further study. Following a comprehensive comparison of CSRM and TSRM characteristics, a general torque equation is presented that is applicable to both CSRM and TSRM. Two 12-switch converters are proposed to drive three-phase TSRMs. Moreover, sinusoidal current excitation with a commercial three-phase half-bridge converter has been suggested as an alternative converter solution for TSRMs. Accordingly, a three-phase six-stator-pole, four-rotor-pole CSRM is designed and optimized with a speed of up to 50,000 rpm in this thesis. A TSRM is resized to achieve the same envelope dimension as a benchmark CSRM. Thus, a comparative study between high-speed CSRM and TSRMs has been carried out. They have both been prototyped and tested. The findings suggest that the TSRM is superior, considering machine mass and wire temperature management. The TSRM has a better torque output at lower speeds because copper losses are dominant. However, the CSRM has more advantages at higher speeds due to lower iron losses and lower DC voltage requirements. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A novel belt alternator starter (BAS) is proposed to replace the starter and alternator in a hybrid electric vehicle. The BAS designed utilizes an 18 rotor, 12 stator pole switched reluctance machine (SRM) configuration, with concentrated bar windings wound in parallel. Through iteration of various machine geometry parameters, the SRM can meet the torque and speeds demands over standardized drive cycles described by the US Environmental Protection Agency. / With the depletion of oil wells and changing global climate, a large emphasis is placed on the research, development and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) to replace vehicles driven by internal combustion engines (ICEs). However the global supply chain is still not ready for such a large demand in EVs; therefore hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) aim to ease the transition between ICEs and EVs. The research outlined in this thesis investigates the design of a 18 stator, 12 rotor pole (18/12) configuration switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing novel technologies for use as a belt alternator starter (BAS) motor in an HEV. Background research on current trends and technologies for electric motors and vehicles is performed before evaluating initial geometry for the motor core to be designed. Initial geometry is brought into JMAG to develop an electromagnetic model and begin the geometry optimization. The 18/12 design process highlights how changes to motor parameters from a geometry and winding standpoint will affect motor performance. After the motor core geometry yields suitable performance, a mechanical design is proposed encompassing the rotary assembly, cooling as well as solutions for mounting. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Hybrid electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent as stricter restrictions are placed on fuel economy and emissions targets. Full electric vehicles on the other hand have not yet become the standard form of transportation due to the limits on range and infrastructure. Because of this, automotive manufacturers are researching and developing new methods in which they can meet these restrictions and limitations. Switched reluctance motors aim to be a solution to meet these demands while forging a new path by alleviating the demand on rare earth metals for the motor core. In this thesis, a design is proposed to fill an existing role in vehicle electrification best suited for a belted alternator starter.

QC 20111214

In diesem Beitrag wird gezeigt, welche Auswirkung die Rotorform einer Reluktanzmaschine und die Ansteuerung mittels Umrichter auf den Verlusthaushalt der Maschine hat. Darüber hinaus werden die Möglichkeiten zur Verluststeuerung, welche sich durch den Betrieb von Reluktanzmaschinen ergeben, vorgestellt. / This paper shows the effect of the rotor shape of a reluctance machine and the converter control on the losses of the machine. In addition, it will be shown which possibilities for loss control will result from the operation of reluctance machines.

<p>As a cost-effective, healthy, and environmentally friendly personal mode of transportation, electric bicycles (E-bikes) are gaining an increasing market share from conventional bicycles and automobiles. Considering the legal rules in Ontario, Canada, a 500W motor makes the E-bike more attractive for travelling use. At the same time, the simple structure, high torque and power density, as well as the low cost of the switched reluctance machine (SRM) makes it a strong candidate for E-bikes.</p> <p>In this thesis, a 3-phase, external-rotor SRM with 6 stator poles and 10 rotor poles is designed for E-bike. The design of an external rotor arrangement of the 6-10 SRM topology has not previously been reported, hence it offers a new contribution to the published works. The machine design is initiated by the output power equation and is followed by a comprehensive finite element analysis (FEA). The external-rotor arrangement is chosen to facilitate ease of integration into the wheel hub structure of a typical pedal bicycle. The increasing rotor poles yield improved torque ripple reduction than more conventional (i.e. 6-4, 12-8 etc.) SRM design, which is an essential feature for low speed rider comfort.</p> <p>A new torque ripple reduction control scheme is investigated. Although the comparison shows that the torque sharing function has more positive result than angular position control with regards to torque ripple, this is at the expense of higher losses. Detailed thermal analysis ensures this machine is suitable to require no additional cooling system. The final machine design is experimentally tested via a full system prototype. Results highlight some limitation of the 2-D FEA in terms of the winding inductance calculation. Here, the end winding introduce more influence on short thickness machine, which will reduce its output power. However, its power-speed curve shows that this prototype machine has very strong overload ability.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Dans le domaine du véhicule électrique, la chaîne de traction allant de la batterie de stockage aux roues en passant par le moteur constitue le cœur du système. Elle bénéficie régulièrement d’innovations technologiques rendant ce véhicule de plus en plus attractif. Actuellement, les motorisations proposées par les constructeurs sont classiques, de type synchrone à rotor bobiné, à aimant permanent ou asynchrone. De conception éprouvée et dotées de lois de commande complexes et parfaitement maîtrisées, elles offrent de bonnes performances.Cependant, les industriels explorent de nouvelles motorisations moins conventionnelles permettant de réduire leur coût de fabrication, tout en maintenant les performances. Une des solutions possibles est la machine à réluctance variable à double saillance (MRVDS). En effet, elle est de conception simple et constituée de matériaux peu couteux. Son rotor complètement passif lui confère une très bonne robustesse et une vitesse de rotation élevée, nécessaire à une certaine compacité.Néanmoins, son pilotage est beaucoup plus complexe que pour les autres machines, elle est relativement bruyante et son couple présente des ondulations non négligeables.Nos travaux ont pour but de contribuer à l’amélioration des performances de la MRVDS du point de vue contrôle, caractéristiques de couple et efficacité énergétique sur une plage de vitesse importante. Ils ont alors été conduits selon deux axes : un axe commande et un axe conception.Afin de satisfaire un contrôle du couple le plus parfait possible, de nouveaux régulateurs de courant à la fois performants et relativement simples à implémenter sur cible logicielle ont été présenté dans un premier temps. Ensuite, nous avons proposé une implémentation partitionnée de la commande de la MRVDS sur cibles logicielle et matérielle. L’objectif est ici de conserver les performances de la commande dans le cas de l’utilisation d’un processeur économique, dont la période d’échantillonnage serait relativement importante, et tout particulièrement à haute vitesse. Une carte FPGA (Fied Programmable Gate Array) a alors été mise en œuvre.Pour améliorer les caractéristiques de couple en fonction de la vitesse ainsi que le rendement de l’ensemble moteur-convertisseur, une nouvelle structure de MRVDS non conventionnelle a été proposée. Elle est munie d’un bobinage auxiliaire créant une excitation magnétique dans chaque phase.Une étude a d’abord été menée à l’aide de simulations basées sur un nouveau modèle. Elle a permis de mettre en évidence les avantages d’une excitation par rapport à une MRVDS classique. Afin de valider les résultats, un prototype a ensuite été conçu, réalisé et expérimenté.Une part importante de ces travaux a ainsi été consacrée à la mise en œuvre de plateformes expérimentales et à la réalisation de nombreux essais permettant de valider les développements théoriques, tant du point de vue commande sur une MRVDS 8/6 que conception sur une MRVDS 6/4. / For electric vehicles, traction from storage battery to the wheels through the engine is the heart of the system. It regularly enjoys technological innovations making this vehicle more attractive. Currently, machines offered by manufacturers are classic, synchronous and induction machines. With complex laws, they offer good performance.However, manufacturers are exploring new unconventional machines to reduce their manufacturing cost while maintaining performance. One possible solution is the switched reluctance machine (SRM). Indeed, its design is simple and made of inexpensive materials. Its rotor completely passive gives it a very good robustness and high rotational speed required for certain compactness. However, its operation is much more complex than for other machines, it is relatively noisy and has significant torque ripple.Our work contributes to the improvement of SRM’s performance in terms of control torque characteristics and global efficiency over a large range speed. They were driven on two axes: one control axis and one design axis.To satisfy a torque control as perfect as possible, new currents controller both efficient and relatively simple to implement on software target were first presented. Then we proposed a SRM's control implementation on hardware and software targets. The objective is to maintain the performances in the case of an important sampling period, especially at high speeds. So an FPGA circuit (Fied Programmable Gate Array) was used.To improve torque characteristics depending on the speed, and global efficiency, a new SRM structure has been proposed. It is provided with an auxiliary coil creating a magnetic excitation in each phase. A study was initially conducted using simulations based on a new model. It helped to highlight the benefits of excitement compared to a conventional SRM. To validate the results, a prototype was then designed, built and tested.An important part of this work has been devoted to the implementation of experimental platforms and implementation of numerous tests to validate the theoretical developments, both in terms of control on a 8/6 SRM and design on a 6/4 SRM.

A máquina a relutância chaveada ganhou considerável atenção da comunidade científica com o desenvolvimento da eletrônica de potência e é considerada hoje uma máquina elétrica promissora para algumas aplicações, principalmente aquelas onde há a necessidade de operação em velocidade variável seja como motor ou como gerador. Sendo assim, este trabalho apresenta a dinâmica de funcionamento de uma máquina a relutância chaveada, com uma estrutura 6 x 4, ou seja contendo seis pólos no estator e quatro pólos no rotor, operando no modo gerador. A dinâmica de funcionamento é apresentada e comparada através de resultados experimentais e resultados simulados em ambiente Matlab/Simulink. Os resultados experimentais foram possíveis devido a construção de um protótipo da máquina e da montagem de uma bancada de testes. O projeto desenvolvido para construção do protótipo e da bancada de testes é apresentado neste trabalho. / Switched reluctance machines have received considerable attention from the scientific community due to advances in power electronics, and now is considered a promising electric machine for some applications, especially where variable speed operations are needed for motor or generator. Therefore, this work presents the dynamics of a switched reluctance machine, operating as a generator, with 6 x 4 structure, i.e., six stator poles and four poles in the rotor. Experimental results, which were obtained from a machine prototype installed on a test bench, were compared with Matlab/Simulink computational simulations. The designing aspects for the prototype construction are also discussed in this work.

Cette thèse porte sur l’optimisation du contrôle des Machines Synchrones à Réluctance Variable (MSRV) et en particulier sur la compensation des phénomènes vibratoires. Elle comprend trois points forts : le développement d’une méthode de minimisation des pulsations de couple et sa validation expérimentale, l’études des facteurs qui peuvent influencer la méthode et l’influence de cette méthode sur les autres performances de la MSRV.Tout d’abord, une méthode de contrôle permettant de compenser les ondulations de couple d’une MSRV existante a été développée. Premièrement, une équation analytique du couple est proposée et analysée afin d’exprimer la relation analytique harmonique entre le couple et les courants d’alimentation. La notion de « fonction de couple » est ensuite introduite. Une stratégie basée sur l’utilisation de cette fonction pour minimiser les ondulations du couple est présentée. Deux méthodes de réduction des ondulations de couple utilisant les différents harmoniques de la fonction de couple sont mises en évidence en. Elles ont été analysées et comparées pour répondre aux différents objectifs. Par la suite, la méthode a été validée par les résultats des simulations pour trois technologies de rotor de MSRV parmi les plus répandues. La méthode est aussi validée par la modélisation analytique et la simulation dynamique à l’aide du logiciel Matlab/Simulink ainsi que par les résultats d’expérimentation avec l’aide du banc d’essai.Ensuite, les facteurs qui peuvent influencer la méthode proposée pour réduire les ondulations de couple et les performances dynamiques ont analysés. Dans un premier temps, une amélioration sensible de l’aptitude au démarrage de la MSRV lorsque la compensation des ondulations de couple est mise en œuvre est mise en évidence. D’autre part la sensibilité de la méthode aux erreurs de mesure de position est évaluée afin de quantifier sa fiabilité dans le cas de l’utilisation d’estimateurs lors du contrôle sans capteur. Enfin, l’influence de la saturation sur la méthode proposée est aussi étudiée à l’aide d’une analyse par éléments finis du comportement magnétique de la MSRV.Finalement, l’influence de la méthode de compensation des ondulations de couple sur d’autres performances de la MSRV est analysée. Les courants optimaux ont plus harmoniques que les courants originaux. Par conséquent, les pertes dans le cuivre, dans le fer et dans les semi-conducteurs de l’onduleur sont modélisées analytiquement, calculées et comparées. Les conclusions montrent que les pertes dans le cuivre sont les plus sensibles à la compensation des harmoniques de couple tandis que les pertes dans le fer et dans l’onduleur sont faiblement affectées. D’autre part, la réduction des ondulations de couple peut changer le comportement vibro-acoustique de la MSRV. La dernière partie est consacrée à l’étude de la relation entre les ondulations de couple et le bruit. Une équation est proposée pour évaluer la variation du bruit produit par la compensation des ondulations de couple. Dans cette partie, les simulations dans Flux 2D sont effectuées pour calculer la variation du bruit. En outre, le logiciel professionnel Manatee réalisant l’analyse des vibrations et de l’acoustique est utilisé dans le but de conforter les résultats obtenus par la modélisation analytique. / This thesis aims to study the control and optimization of a synchronous reluctance machine for the purpose of improving the vibrational performance. The main works of the thesis can be classified into three parts: the proposed torque ripple reduction method, the factors which can influence the proposed method and the influence of the proposed method.At first, the torque ripple of synchronous reluctance machine is reduced by a control method. Firstly, a torque equation is proposed in order to present the relationship between torque ripple and the optimal currents. Then a new parameter, torque function, is put forward. Based on the torque function, the torque ripple reduction strategy is presented. Two different torque ripple minimizations are proposed by applying different torque function harmonics. They are analyzed and compared in order to define the optimal method. In order to test the proposed method further, the selected torque ripple minimization approach is applied to three SynRMs. The results of finite element simulations imply that the proposed method is effective to decrease the torque ripples of these three SynRMs. The proposed torque ripple reduction method is verified according to the models built in MATLAB/Simulink and the experiment results respectively.Then the factors which could influence the proposed torque ripple reduction method are analyzed. Firstly, torque function is a function of rotor position, current angle and saturation. Based on the model in Simulink, the influence of different starting position on the performance of the studied SynSR is analyzed. Besides, the estimated position errors produced by senserless control could also affect the toque ripple minimization by changing torque function. At last, the influence of saturation on the proposed torque ripple reduction method is introduced because the amplitudes of the optimal currents are increased.In addition, the influence of torque ripple reduction on the other perfomances of SynRM is analyzed. The optimal currents have more harmonics than the original sinusoidal currents. So three losses (copper losses, iron losses and inverter losses) are modeled, calculated, analyzed and compared. According to the results, the copper losses are the most sensible losses. The iron losses and the inverter losses are a little increased and the increased parts can be neglected. Besides, reducing torque ripple by adding stator currents could influence the vibro-acoustic of the studied SynRM. Thus this section aims to explain the relationship between torque ripple reduction and acoustic noise. An analytical equation is proposed in order to evaluate the variation of noise produced by torque ripple reduction. Simulations in Flux 2D have been performed in order to calculate the variation of noise resulted by torque ripple reduction. At last, the software Manatee which is professional in studying the vibration and noise is applied for the purpose of comparing the results with those of the finite element analysis.

Although the design principles of the Switched Reluctance Machines (SRMs) are available in different fragments in numerous bibliography positions, there no exists the complex design procedure of whole drive system taking into account the SR Machine, control system and supply device as well. The hybrid design method for SRM drives with application of new analytical calculation methods, finite element method and simulation models is proposed in this thesis. The calculation/design system is characterised by important effectivity and reliability. The new possibilities in analytical determination of saturation effects and core losses under various modes of control, including sensorless method, are also taken into account. The correctness of the proposed design algorithms are verified by laboratory tests made on three motor prototypes manufactured in industry for concrete application. This dissertation provides the elements indispensable for more accurate and complex analysis and design of drives with switch reluctance motors. The elements of electrical motor and control system design as well as the considerations on the choice of supply device and controller subsystems are jointed in the thesis for final receiving of the design tool for considered industrial drive system.