INTRODUCTION

Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) concept established

in 1838.
 In mid 1960s, its performance raised to levels
competitive with DC and AC drives and Brushless DC
drives.
 SRM differs from variable reluctance stepper motor and
synchronous reluctance motor in some important
aspects.
ïig 1
 Construction
 SRM is a doubly salient, independent stator
excited motor.
 Stator windings are of concentrated type and the
diametrical opposite poles are connected either
in series or parallel to form one phase.
 8/6 and 6/4 are mostly used configurations.
 No starting torque in 4/2 and 2/2 configurations if
stator and rotor poles are aligned.
 Stator has multiple salient electromagnet poles.
 Rotor is of soft magnetic material having multiple
projections.
 Rotor poles are less than stator poles thereby
minimizing torque ripple.
 Rotor pole at :-
ïully unaligned position-maximum magnetic
reluctance.
Aligned position-minimum reluctance.
 (rinciple of Operation
 Variation of stator phase winding inductance
with rotor position.
 Excitation is shifted from one phase to another
as position of minimum reluctance is
continuously shifted by rotor position sensors.
 Reluctance torque makes the rotor to move
continuously.
 All stator phases excited sequentially to produce
unidirectional torque.
 SRM also called Variable Reluctance Motor.
ïig 2
 600

L ±Slope -Slope

șr

șr
ON Oïï HIGH S(EED

Low speed

șr
ïORWARD DIRECTION

ïig. 3
 Control Requirements
 Speed of rotation dependent on average torque acting
on rotor and independent of direction of phase currents.

 Unipolar drive circuit, employed for controlling purpose,

provides fast current build-ups and decays.

 (hase current value maintained nearly at Ir by alternate

ON-Oïï of the switch S1.
 S1 D1
± Vph -
±

Vd Iph (hase winding

-
S2
D2

ïig 4
Vph iph

Vd

t0±T
t t

t0 t0 t0±T
-Vd

S1on S1off S1on

ïig 5 S2on

ïig 6
 Torque (roduction
Ë Varying reluctance along the magnetic circuit
produces torque.
Ë Torque is independent of direction of current
flow.
Ë Torque developed by SRM-
T=½ i2dL/dș
Ë Torque proportional to square of current.
Ë Sign of torque dependent on the variation of
inductance with rotor position ș .
 Merits
 Rotor is simple without any magnet or
winding on it.
 Stator is easy to wind; end turns short and
robust.
 Losses appear only on stator which is
easy to cool.
 Wide speed range at constant power.
 Demerits
 Ripple torque leads to acoustics noise.

 Large DC ripple current.

 Induces AC line harmonics.

 Applications
 Washing machines and refrigerators
 Control rod drive mechanisms
 Automobiles and battery operated vehicles
 Industrial applications
 Conclusion
 The Switched reluctance machine is least
expensive to produce yet most reliable
 Owing to their various advantages SRM
and variable drive systems using SRMs
gaining popularity
 References
 Bimbhra (S, ³Generalized Theory of
Electrical Machines´, Khanna (ublishers,
2005
 Iqbal Hussain, ³SRM Drives: Basics and
Research Trends´, the University of Akron
 G K Dubey, ³ïundamentals of Electrical
Drives´