Investigation of electromagnetic force components in SRM under single and multiphase excitation

This paper presents the results of an investigation of components of the electromagnetic force in the air gap of an 8/6 switched reluctance machine (SRM). Using a Maxwell stress method, variations of radial and tangential force components due to saliency of the machine and saturation have been studied. Access to distribution of the force components acting on the rotor and stator enables us to provide a more accurate picture of the torque generation and vibration in this family of electric machines. Furthermore, distribution of magnetic forces under multiphase excitation has been studied in detail. Our findings show that bipolar excitation of SRM phases, resulting in a short flux path magnetic circuit, favors its efficiency and power quality while generating higher torque with less pulsation. This is a significant improvement, particularly for automotive applications where the difference in the required number of power electronics components can be justified. An experimental 2-kW 42-V 8/6 SRM drive which has been designed and manufactured in our energy system laboratory was targeted for this study. In addition to our extensive finite-element analysis, experimental results have been provided to prove theoretical claims.