Radial Force Reduction in a New Flat-Type Double-Stator Switched Reluctance Motor

The inherent structure of double-stator switched reluctance motor (DSSRM) provides a significant improvement in energy conversion efficiency by eliminating the radial component of the forces. Reduction of the radial force (RF) in rotational motion increases efficiency and performance of the machine. This paper proposes and implements a new flat-type double-stator segmented cup-rotor SRM (DSSCR-SRM). In this structure, the shaft is placed on one bearing, which reduces the system cost and friction. The rotor structure is designed to be connected directly to the load (direct-drive system) without the shaft requirement. Moreover, the rotor can be balanced between two stators such that the resultant RFs is reduced to zero. Due to the difference between the number of turns in inner and outer stator-coils, the forces exerted on the segmented rotor will cause it to stay partially suspended. In order to improve the results and determine appropriate performance of the motor, the magnetic analysis has been done on a 3-D model. The results of analytical calculations and the finite-element method analyses are validated by testing a prototype model of the DSSCR-SRM.