Charge/discharge experiments in a flywheel with switched reluctance machine

This paper shows the experimental results of a switched reluctance machine (SRM) operating as a flywheel energy storage system. A prototype was designed, composed by a drive board, the microcontroller and the 6/4 SRM. The control algorithm allows bidirectional operation of the SRM, which can work as a motor or as a generator. In the proposed tests, when the SRM is operating as a motor the machine is fed by a DC source, and when operating as a generator, the energy stored is dissipated in a resistive load. The SRM side converter and the control is presented in details. The experimental results show the currents and voltage in the machine, and in the DC-link during charging and discharging tests.