Design, analysis, FEM validation and fabrication of a switched reluctance motor

This paper deals with design, analysis and fabrication of a 4 phase, 48 V, 1 hp, 3000 rpm 8/6 SRM. The motor design process includes rigorous hand calculation which is followed by computer iterations for design modification. The design has been validated using available standard FEM software. A non-linear analytical model of the motor is developed to predict and compare the performance with the FEM results, at rated load. The analytical model utilizes Pohl's method of inductance calculation to obtain the air gap inductance profile. The same is compared with the inductance profile obtained from FE analysis and found in good agreement. This paper also presents a brief comparison between the “Overlap method” and “Pohl's method” of air gap inductance calculation. Hardware test results of the fabricated motor are presented.