Analysis of Dynamic Current Control Techniques for Switched Reluctance Motor Drives for High Performance Applications

Current controllers form a crucial part of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive control system because they significantly impact the overall drive performance from multiple standpoints including steady-state capability, dynamic response as well as noise and vibration performance. This paper presents a comparative analysis of two current control methods for SRM drive systems namely conventional proportional-integral control and predictive deadbeat control. The controllers are assessed and compared for different performance metrics including command tracking behavior, disturbance rejection capability, noise transmission characteristics as well as robustness to modeling uncertainty (parameter estimation errors). The presented analysis greatly simplifies the selection process for determining the best current control technique for a given application with specific performance requirements. The current controller design and analysis is performed through simulations on a practical 12 V, fractional kW 12-slot, 8-pole SRM.