Power factor and inverter rating. A compromise in doubly fed reluctance machine drives

The author develops a set of expressions suitable for the implementation of maximum power factor and maximum torque per inverter ampere control strategies for brushless doubly fed reluctance machines (BDFRMs) and performs a comparative analysis of the machine theoretical performance under the conditions of these control methodologies. While the material presented is preliminary in nature, it makes a significant contribution to fundamental knowledge and general understanding of the BDFRM's unusual operation and its optimal control aspects. The author focuses on the BDFRM's power factor control abilities and various trade-offs between performance and the inverter rating required to drive the machine. The importance of this work lies in the fact that the technological future and viability of the BDFRM will be ultimately determined by whether the compromise between a larger machine for a given output and a smaller size of the inverter lead to a lower capital cost in the target applications.