A new sensorless method for switched reluctance motor drives

This paper describes a new method for indirect sensing of the rotor position in switched reluctance motors (SRMs) using pulse width modulation voltage control. The detection method uses the change of the derivative of the phase current to detect the position where a rotor pole and stator pole start to overlap, giving one position update per energy conversion. As no a priori knowledge of motor parameters is required (except for the numbers of stator and rotor poles), the method is applicable to most SRM topologies in a wide power and speed range and for several inverter topologies. The method allows modest closed-loop dynamic performance. To start up the motor, a feedforward stepping method is used which assures robust startup (even under load) from standstill to a predefined speed at which closed-loop sensorless operation can be applied. Experimental results demonstrate the robust functionality of the method with just one current sensor in the inverter, even with excitation overlap, and the sensorless operation improves with speed. The method is comparable to the back-EMF position estimation for brushless DC motors in principle, performance and cost. A detailed operation and implementation of this scheme is shown, together with steady-state and dynamic transient test results

Design and Development of Low Torque Ripple Variable-Speed Drive System With Six-Phase Switched Reluctance Motors

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives conventionally use current control techniques at low speed and voltage control techniques at high speed. However, these conventional methods usually fail to restrain the torque ripple, which is normally associated with this type of machine. Compared with conventional three-phase SRMs, higher phase SRMs have the advantage of lower torque ripple: To further reduce their torque ripple, this paper presents a control method for torque ripple reduction in six-phase SRM drives. A constant instantaneous torque is obtained by regulating the rotational speed of the stator flux linkage. This torque control method is subsequently developed for a conventional converter and a proposed novel converter with fewer switching devices. Moreover, modeling and simulation of this six-phase SRM drive system has been conducted in detail and validated experimentally using a 4.0-kW six-phase SRM drive system. Test results demonstrate that the proposed torque control method has outstanding performance of restraining the torque ripple with both converters for the six-phase SRM, showing superior performance to the conventional control techniques

A general magnetic-energy-based torque estimator: validation via a permanent-magnet motor drive

This paper describes the use of the current–flux-linkage ($i{-}psi$ ) diagram to validate the performance of a general magnetic-energy-based torque estimator. An early step in the torque estimation is the use of controller duty cycles to reconstruct the average phase-voltage waveform during each pulsewidth-modulation (PWM) switching period. Samples over the fundamental period are recorded for the estimation of the average torque. The fundamental period may not be an exact multiple of the sample time. For low speed, the reconstructed voltage requires additional compensation for inverter-device losses. Experimental validation of this reconstructed waveform with the actual PWM phase-voltage waveform is impossible due to the fact that one is PWM in nature and the other is the average value during the PWM period. A solution to this is to determine the phase flux-linkage using each waveform and then plot the resultant $i{-}psi$ loops. The torque estimation is based on instantaneous measurements and can therefore be applied to any electrical machine. This paper includes test results for a three-phase interior permanent-magnet brushless ac motor operating with both sinusoidal and nonsinusoidal current waveforms

Optimal design of switched reluctance motors

The fundamental theory of the switched reluctance motor is presented with a number of new equations. It is used to show how the practical development of a design calculation should proceed, and this leads to a discussion of physical characteristics required to achieve satisfactory performance and to reduce acoustic noise. The paper makes a few generic observations on the characteristics of successful products that use switched reluctance motors. It is written at a basic engineering level and makes no attempt to apply sophisticated optimization theory

Control strategy for switched reluctance motor with rotary encoder based rotor position detection

Development of electric drive tends to the use of Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) for their advantages and green technology issues. The SRM takes significant place in development for its simplicity, robust construction, and low cost. Sensorless method can be applied to drive SRM, it is less expansive but has more complexity and limitation. On the other hand, although sensor-based rotor position detection needs a hardware assembled on the shaft, some advantages can be obtained. In this paper, a control strategy for SRM drive with rotary encoder based rotor position detection is proposed, core of the strategy implements digital signal controller. The problem associated with wide range speed and standstill operation can be overcome by this strategy. This is also capable to vary the time to turn the switches on and off by software. The analysis was verified by simulations and experiments

An educational tool to assist the design process of switched reluctance machines

The design of electric machines is a hot topic in the syllabuses of several undergraduate and graduate courses. With the development of hybrid and electrical vehicles, this subject is gaining more popularity, especially in electrical engineering courses. This paper presents a computeraided educational tool to guide engineering students in the design process of a switched reluctance machine (SRM). A step-by-step design procedure is detailed and a user guide interface (GUI) programmed in the Matlab® environment developed for this purpose is shown. This GUI has been proved a useful tool to help the students to validate the results obtained in their lecture assignments, while aiding to achieve a better understanding of the design process of electric machines. A validation of the educational tool is done by means of finite element method (FEM) simulations.Postprint (author's final draft

Sensorless control scheme for continuously estimating rotor position and speed of switched reluctance motor drives based on two-dimensional least squares

Author name used in this publication: X. D. XueAuthor name used in this publication: K. W. E. ChengAuthor name used in this publication: S. L. HoRefereed conference paper2004-2005 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe

Indirect angle estimation in switched reluctance motor drives using fuzzy logic based motor model

Copyright © 2000 IEEEIn this paper, a novel rotor position estimation scheme is described that was developed to overcome the drawbacks of the previous sensorless techniques, which were proposed for switched reluctance (SR) motor drives. It is based on fuzzy-logic, and does not require complex mathematical models or large look up tables. The scheme was implemented by using a digital signal processor. The real-time experimental results given in this paper show that the position estimation method proposed can provide accurate and continual position data over a wide range of speeds (zero/low/high), and can also function accurately at different operating conditions (chopping/single pulse mode and steady state/transient operation).Nesimi Ertugrul and Adrian D. Cheo

Online sensorless position estimation for switched reluctance motors using one current sensor

This paper proposes an online sensorless rotor position estimation technique for switched reluctance motors (SRMs) using just one current sensor. It is achieved by first decoupling the excitation current from the bus current. Two phase-shifted pulse width modulation signals are injected into the relevant lower transistors in the asymmetrical half-bridge converter for short intervals during each current fundamental cycle. Analog-to-digital converters are triggered in the pause middles of the dual pulse to separate the bus current for excitation current recognition. Next, the rotor position is estimated from the excitation current, by a current-rise-time method in the current-chopping-control mode in a low-speed operation and a current-gradient method in the voltage-pulse-control mode in a high-speed operation. The proposed scheme requires only a bus current sensor and a minor change to the converter circuit, without a need for individual phase current sensors or additional detection devices, achieving a more compact and cost-effective drive. The performance of the sensorless SRM drive is fully investigated. The simulation and experiments on a 750-W three-phase 12/8-pole SRM are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme

Online sensorless position estimation for switched reluctance motors using one current sensor

This paper proposes an online sensorless rotor position estimation technique for switched reluctance motors (SRMs) using just one current sensor. It is achieved by first decoupling the excitation current from the bus current. Two phase-shifted pulse width modulation signals are injected into the relevant lower transistors in the asymmetrical half-bridge converter for short intervals during each current fundamental cycle. Analog-to-digital converters are triggered in the pause middles of the dual pulse to separate the bus current for excitation current recognition. Next, the rotor position is estimated from the excitation current, by a current-rise-time method in the current-chopping-control mode in a low-speed operation and a current-gradient method in the voltage-pulse-control mode in a high-speed operation. The proposed scheme requires only a bus current sensor and a minor change to the converter circuit, without a need for individual phase current sensors or additional detection devices, achieving a more compact and cost-effective drive. The performance of the sensorless SRM drive is fully investigated. The simulation and experiments on a 750-W three-phase 12/8-pole SRM are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme