SRM drive system with improved power factor

The switched reluctance motor (SRM) has the advantages of simple structure, low rotor inertia and high power rate per unit volume. However, the SRM has the disadvantages of high current harmonics and low power factor because of the pulse-type discontinuous excitation. This paper investigates an SRM drive system with reduced harmonics and improved power factor. The system consists of a switching power converter with power factor correction (SPC-PFC), a DC/DC power converter and a three-phase inverter. The SPC-PFC is designed to produce a pure sinusoidal input current, improve the power factor and reduce harmonics. The performances in the proposed system are verified through both simulation and experiments.