Electromagnetic Considerations for a Six-Phase Switched Reluctance Motor Driven by a Three-Phase Inverter

• Published in: IEEE transactions on industry applications Vol. 52; no. 5; pp. 3783 - 3791
• Main Authors: Martin, Richard, Widmer, James D., Mecrow, Barrie C., Kimiabeigi, Mohammad, Mebarki, Abdeslam, Brown, Neil L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.09.2016; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Electric vehicles; Electromagnetics; Motor drives; Motors; multiphase electric machines; Reluctance motors; rotating machines; Rotors; segmental rotor; Stators; switched reluctance motor; Topology; Torque; torque density; torque ripple; variable-speed drives
• ISSN: 0093-9994; 1939-9367
• DOI: 10.1109/TIA.2016.2564344

The switched reluctance machine (SRM) offers advantages over other topologies, but low torque density, high torque ripple, and use of a nonstandard power converter are limitations. This paper develops a drive configuration, which facilitates the operation of a six-phase SRM using a standard three-phase inverter in order to address these limitations. The focus of the paper is an investigation of electromagnetic design aspects of two candidate SRM topologies in this six-phase context for a pure electric or hybrid electric vehicle-type application. Advances are made in the understanding of the electromagnetic design of suitable SRMs, and the conventional SRM is demonstrated as the preferred topology through parametric and finite-element analysis (FEA) design studies with reference to a given specification. Laboratory test results for a prototype machine are presented in verification of the machine design and demonstration of this drive concept as a high-torque-density candidate suitable for electric vehicle applications.