Design Optimization of 20/16 Outer Rotor Five Phase Switched Reluctance Motor for EV Application

The outer rotor switched reluctance motor (OR-SRM) is a favorable choice for electric vehicle (EV) applications due to its high torque density, power density, robustness, low cost and low maintenance requirements. However, its usability in EVs is limited by inherent torque ripple and a low power factor. These drawbacks can be mitigated by increasing the number of motor phases. This research paper introduces a outer rotor five-phase (OR-FPSRM) switched reluctance motor with a 20/16 slot-pole configuration designed for EV applications. The study includes a parametric analysis of geometric parameters such as bore diameter and stack length, examining their impact on performance. This analysis assists designers in selecting the optimal tuning variables for the motor. To optimize the design of the OR-FPSRM, a genetic algorithm (GA) is employed. The torque and copper loss are used as the cost functions for the optimization process. The paper presents the results of the optimization solution and the performance of the OR-FPSRM under both rated and variable load conditions.