Advanced current control of synchronous reluctance motors

The presence of rare-earth materials in permanent magnet synchronous motors has shifted the attention of the research towards the rediscovery of the synchronous reluctance motors. However, they present a highly nonlinear magnetic structure that makes the current control design a troublesome task. Standard proportional-integral controllers may fail in assuring the desired dynamic performances in the whole operating region. However, their simplicity is still attractive, when compared to other more complex controllers, such as the predictive ones. This paper aims at proposing two modified proportional-integral controllers tailored on the synchronous reluctance motors magnetic characteristics. At the heart of the process stands the knowledge of an accurate model of the motor. The design process is thus accurately described and both simulation and experimental tests are reported.