In this study, development of software, which can analyze and optimize an SRM by accurately calculating its performance, is aimed. Existing methods in the literature are investigated. Some studies for the calculation of performance use 2D field solutions and are known to be accurate / however, using field solutions is not feasible for the optimization purpose. So, a method based on a set of normalized permeance and force data are chosen for prediction of magnetizing characteristics. Selected methods are programmed into the software with a user friendly interface. The results from the software are compared with test results from an existing motor. It is found that the accuracy of the predictions is not acceptable if the effect of end winding leakage flux is not accounted for. An approach is proposed for accounting the end winding leakage. The software is modified accordingly. In this case, the results obtained are found to have good accuracy, compared with measurements. The SR motor design optimization problem is treated as a constrained wieght optimization problem. This problem is converted to an unconstrained optimization problem, by using the Augmented Lagrangian method. To decrease the computation time of some of the performance calculation algorithms, some modifications are made. These are described in the related sections. The derivatives for the optimization process are numerically calculated. The accuracy of the performance calculation is once again verified against test results at this stage. The optimization software is then used to optimize the design of an SR motor for a washing machine application. The results obtained are discussed.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:08:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 anexo dissertacao weldon.pdf: 502529 bytes, checksum: e010c8b9335a273bd3a0c2fd72779737 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-30 / This work presents a proposal for testing Switched Reluctance Motors, which is feasible by the design and construction of an automated test bench. The test proposal intends to measure phase s resistance; to compute copper loss; to obtain the magnetizing curves for aligned and unaligned rotor and a performance test, which is based on fixing the under test motor rotor speed by a drive machine that is drove by a frequency inverter. The computational automation is restricted in changing the d.c. voltage applied to the under test switched reluctance motor by a programmable sinusoidal voltage source; changing and/or fixing the under test rotation speed of the switched reluctance; changing the semiconductor-switch switching angle; acquisition and processing of the data obtained in the tests. Computational simulations were performed for validating tests results made in an available switched reluctance motor / Este trabalho apresenta uma proposta de ensaios de Motores a Relutância Chaveados, a qual se viabiliza através do projeto e construção de uma bancada automatizada. A proposta de ensaios compreende, entre outros procedimentos, em medir as resistências das fases; calcular a perda ôhmica; determinação das curvas de magnetização nas posições de pólos, do estator e rotor, alinhados e desalinhados e o desempenho, o qual se fundamenta na fixação da velocidade de rotação dos motores sob teste através de uma máquina de indução trifásica de grande potência comparada à potência do motor sob teste, cujo acionamento é realizado por meio de um conversor de freqüência. A automação realizada via computacional está circunscrita aos seguintes aspectos: variação da tensão de corrente contínua aplicada ao motor a relutância; variação e fixação da velocidade de ensaio do motor a relutância; variação do ângulo de disparo das chaves semicondutoras do conversor de potência; aquisição e processamento dos dados obtidos nos ensaios e determinação da velocidade do motor. Através do método dos elementos finitos foram realizadas simulações computacionais pertinentes para confrontar com os ensaios realizados em um motor a relutância chaveado disponível.

Switched reluctance motor(SRM)drives are favored in many industrial applications because of their cost advantage and ruggedness. However, the torque ripple and bus current ripple of SRM restrict its application range  compared with traditional AC and DC motors due to the doubly salient pole structure and the highly non-linear coupling between torque, rotor position and phase current. As a result of the torque ripple on the shaft, unwilling large acoustic noises are generated. The large current ripple at the DC bus input requires large electrolytic capacitors for attenuation. However, electrolytic capacitors are of low reliability, which will reduce the duration of the control system. Because of these disadvantages, the acceptance of SRM by the industry, especially in servo-type applications which require stationary torque at low speed, is quite slow. In order to obtain high quality control, there have been many efforts in developing techniques for torque ripple attenuation. Primarily, two approaches are used to give a smooth torque. One is to improve the magnetic design, the other is to use sophisticated control techniques. Some torque control techniques have been proved to obtain a relatively good performance by simulations and experimental results. This thesis gives an alternative torque ripple minimization technique. Simulations and Experiments are conducted to show the effectiveness of this new control scheme. Under this new control scheme, the current controller are much easier to be designed under high speed application, which could be an advantage of it. First, the SRM operating principle is presented. The torque of SRM is produced by the tendency of its moveable part shifting to a position where the inductance of the exited winding is maximized. The torque ripple origin is discussed in terms of both magnetization and control. The torque ripple is produced during phase commutation interval because the phase current cannot rise from zero to the nominal value instantaneously due to the existence of the phase inductance. Second, a new torque control scheme is proposed. The new torque control of SRM is split into two cascade sub-tasks. At first, a current reference for ripple free torque is determined. Then a current controller is designed to regulate the current in the stator winding to reference value. Simulations are conducted to verify the effective of this torque control scheme in both ideal 'sinusoidal' SRM and a 'Pseudo-Sinusoidal' SRM. Finally, a motor drive control system is built to implement the new control scheme. The motor is tested under different speeds to see the torque ripple produced in different speed ranges. As a conclusion, the new control algorithm for constant torque and damped input bus current ripple is investigated. The advantages of this new torque control method are listed in the paper. Simulation and experimental results show the effectiveness of this new control method. / Master of Science

No description available.

Switched reluctance motor has features like robust structure, low cost, and wide speed extension range over conventional induction and synchronous motors. These features make it a promising choice for many applications from electric vehicle to aerospace industry. However, due to its silent structure, the characteristics of switched reluctance motor are highly nonlinear. The nonlinearity makes it difficult to control and results in degraded performance such as high torque ripple and acoustic noise compared with conventional induction machine or synchronous machine. New power converters and control methods have to be developed to improve its performance. In order to reduce the current ripple and torque ripple, a novel three-level converter for switched reluctance motor is proposed. The operation modes and modulation method are presented in detail. Simulation and experimental results show that compared to conventional two-level converter, the proposed three-level converter is able to reduce current ripple, torque ripple and acoustic noise significantly without increasing cost. A fast and accurate current controller is essential for the torque control of switched reluctance motor. An adaptive current controller for the three-level converter is developed to avoid the performance degradation caused by manufacture inconsistency. This controller has the ability to adjust its parameters according to the specific motor it drives. Fast dynamic and high accuracy could be achieved through parameter adaption. In order to reduce the cost, and compete with the well-developed sensorless brushless DC and induction motor drive system, a new position sensorless control method for switched reluctance motor is proposed. This method is effective under both low speed operation and high speed operation. It can start with heavy load. It does not have to align the machine before start up as what is needed for many sensorless brushless DC drive systems. The proposed converter and control methods are all verified by simulation and experimental results. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

No description available.

This paper presents a novel controller architecture and speed control design methodology suitable for low cost, low performance switched reluctance motor drives. By utilizing inexpensive components in a simple, compact architecture, a low cost controller is developed which achieves a performance level similar to many high performance controllers. A speed control design methodology is established and analyzed based on the linearized small signal model of the switched reluctance motor. This unique control methodology is simple and provides a starting point for further research into speed/current controller parameter design for switched reluctance motors. The analysis, design and realization of the speed controller are presented. The derivation of the design methodology for speed controlled, switched reluctance motor drives is discussed, along with computer simulations for verification. Experimental results utilizing the proposed architecture and design methodology verify the control design and performance capabilities of the speed controller system. / Master of Science

Single phase switched reluctance machines (SRMs) have a special place in the emerging high-volume, low-cost and low-performance applications in appliances and also in high-speed low-power motor drives in various industrial applications. Single phase SRMs have a number of drawbacks: low power density as they have only 50% utilization of windings, lack of self-starting feature unless otherwise built in to the machine, most of the times with permanent magnets or sometimes with distinct and special machine rotor configurations or additional mechanisms. Many of these approaches are expensive or make the manufacturing process more difficult. In order to overcome such disadvantages a method involving interpoles and windings is discussed in this research. Also, a new and novel converter topology requiring only a single switch and a single diode is realized. This research tests the concepts and feasibility of this new single-phase SRM motor topology and converter in one quadrant operation. The converter electronics and a simple minimum component, minimum cost analog converter are designed and implemented. The entire system is simulated and evaluated on its advantages and disadvantages. Simple testing without load is performed. This system has a large number of possibilities for development. Due to its lightweight, compact design and efficient, variable high-speed operation, the system might find many applications in pumps, fans, and drills. / Master of Science

A novel torque control algorithm, which adopts a two-phase excitation, is proposed to improve the performance of the Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) drive. By exciting two adjacent phases instead of single phase, the changing rate and the magnitude of the phase currents are much reduced. Therefore the existing problems caused by the single-phase excitation such as large torque ripple during commutation, increased audible noise and fatigue of the rotor shaft are mitigated. The electromagnetic torque is efficiently distributed to each phase by the proposed Torque Distribution Function (TDF) that also compensates the effects of mutual coupling. To describe the effects of mutual coupling between phases, a set of voltage and torque equations is newly derived for the two-phase excitation. Parameters of the SRM are obtained by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and verified by measurements. It is shown that the mutual inductance of two adjacent phases partly contributes to generate the electromagnetic torque and introduces coupling between two adjacent phases in the current or flux linkage control loop, which has been neglected in the single-phase excitation. The dynamics of the current or flux linkage loop are coupled and nonlinear due to the mutual inductance between two adjacent phases and the time varying nature of inductance. Each phase current or flux linkage needs to be controlled precisely to achieve the required performance. A feedback linearizing current controller is proposed to linearize and decouple current control loop along with a gain scheduling scheme to maintain performance of the current control loop regardless of rotor position as well as a feedback linearizing flux linkage controller. Finally, to reduce current or flux linkage ripple, a unipolar switching strategy is proposed. The unipolar switching strategy effectively doubles the switching frequency without increasing the actual switching frequency of the switches. This contributes to the mitigation of current or flux linkage ripple and hence to the reduction of the torque ripple. / Ph. D.

The use of variable speed drive (VSD) systems in the appliance industry is growing due to emerging high volume of fractional horsepower VSD applications. Almost all of the appliance VSDs have no input power factor correction (PFC) circuits. This results in harmonic pollution of the utility supply which could be avoided. The impact of the PFC circuit in the overall drive system efficiency, harmonic content, magnitude of the system input current and input power factor is particularly addressed in this dissertation along with the development of analytical methods applicable to the steady-state analysis of input power factor corrected VSD systems. Three different types of motors - the switched reluctance motor (SRM), permanent magnet brushless dc motor (PMBDC) and dc motor (DCM) are employed in this study. The C-dump converter topology, a single switch per phase converter, is adopted for the prototype SRM- and PMBDC-based VSD systems. The conventional full-bridge converter is used for DCM-based VSD systems. Four-quadrant controllers, utilizing PI speed and current control loops for the PMBDC- and DCM-based VSD system, are developed and their design results are verified with experiment and simulation. A single-quadrant controller with a PI speed feedback loop is employed for the SRM-based VSD system. The analysis of each type of VSD system includes development of loss models and establishment of proper operational modes. The magnitude of the input current harmonic spectra is measured and compared with and without a front-end PFC converter. One electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standard, IEC 1000-3-2 which describes the limitation on harmonic current emission is modified for 120V ac system. This modified standard is utilized as the reference to evaluate the measured input current harmonics. The magnitude of input current harmonics for a VSD system are greatly reduced with PFC preregulators. While the input PFC circuit draws a near sinusoidal current from an ac source, it lowers the overall VSD system efficiency and increases cost of the overall system. / Ph. D.