Extending the Speed Range of a Switched Reluctance Motor Using a Fast Demagnetizing Technique

In this paper, a switched reluctance motor (SRM) with phase windings similar to an autotransformer is presented. The new winding structure allows for fast demagnetization. This enhances the machine performance at high speeds. During demagnetization, the dc bus voltage is applied to a portion of the phase winding, and accordingly a higher negative demagnetization voltage/turn is applied. This results in the faster discharge of the phase excitation currents. The power electronic converter configuration is modified to facilitate the new winding topology. However, the number of switches is the same as a conventional half-bridge converter used in SRMs. The proposed SRM drive with the modified winding configuration is verified through finite element analysis based circuit simulations and experimental results.