Design Methodology and Analytical Model for Higher Phase Switched Reluctance Motor Considering Mutual Coupling and Saturation Effect

The higher phase switched reluctance motor (HPSRM) (i.e., number of phases >3) is a potential candidate for industrial applications owing to its advantages of increased phase conduction overlapping. This leads to a higher power density and fault-tolerant capability with a reduced torque ripple. While designing a HPSRM, mutual coupling due to phase conduction overlapping between simultaneously excited phases should also be considered. However, when mutual coupling is considered in finite element analysis (FEA), the geometry optimization process and parametric analysis become computationally extensive and time consuming. This article proposes geometry parameter-dependent hybrid model of an HPSRM considering mutual coupling and core saturation, along with design approach. The design approach has minimal dependency on FEA for parameter optimization. Thus, the hybrid model and design approach significantly reduce the overall computation time with good accuracy. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and design methodology, a 3-kW outer rotor five-phase switched reluctance motor (OR-FPSRM) is designed. The design parameters are optimized using genetic algorithm (GA) to achieve the desired output torque of OR-FPSRM. Analytical results obtained from the model are compared with those obtained through FEA using Ansys Maxwell and performance of the designed motor is also evaluated experimentally.