Starting of a single-phase switched reluctance motor

In this paper the starting of a novel single-phase switched reluctance motor is discussed. A simple and robust technique is presented which uses permanent magnets on the stator, and which is suitable for low-friction applications. The permanent magnets produce stable and unstable detent positions which are offset from the zero-torque positions of the phase excitation. The design and performance of the magnets under static conditions is studied using two-dimensional finite element analysis. The transient performance is investigated with a simulated model, and comparison with measured performance is given.