Complex Performance Analysis and Comparative Study of Very High-Speed Switched Reluctance Motors

This paper presents the comparative analysis of the characteristic features of two 4/2 switched reluctance motors (SRMs) designed for a very high-speed drive. The use of two-phase construction of SRM with irregular air-step gap makes it possible to achieve the required parameters of the drive. The analysis presents the comparison of two distinct structures designed for the same very high-speed drive. In this paper, a novel mathematical model that takes into account the nonlinearity of the magnetic circuit is presented. The results of numerical calculations and laboratory tests of the influence of the possible use of an anisotropic magnetic material in the rotor magnetic circuit are presented. The influence of control parameters on the motor properties is specified. Both the structures were compared with the respect to employed electric parameters. It is important for high-speed structures that a maximal speed of the motor should not affect permissible parameters of the rotor in a negative way. The high-speed structures should be properly designed to ensure a safety margin. The selected laboratory test results that show electric parameters are presented following the specification of the first critical speed based on the Campbell diagram, the maximum speed limited by allowable stresses. It was shown that both the structures analyzed fulfill the condition of a safety margin. A number of thermal problems of the structures analyzed are discussed. The design assumptions related to the possibility of using a higher current density in the motor windings were verified under laboratory conditions.