Power Smoothing Using a Flywheel Driven by a Switched Reluctance Machine

In this paper a novel control system for power smoothing using a switched reluctance machine (SRM) driving a flywheel is presented. Power smoothing is achieved by controlling the SRM to operate as a motor/generator, storing or retrieving energy from a rotating flywheel. In order to increase the rotational energy stored in the flywheel, the SRM operates at high rotational speed and the machine phase current is controlled using single pulse mode. The control strategies proposed in this work have been experimentally implemented in a 2.5 kW prototype based on an 8/6 switched reluctance machine. Experimental results are presented and discussed