Review of Rotary Switched Reluctance Machine Design and Parameters Effect Analysis

Abstract

The switched reluctance machine (SRM) has gained much interest in industrial applications, wind power systems, and electric vehicles. This happened because its main disadvantages, such as the ripple in the torque, were overcome due to continuous research and its advantages, such as simple and robust construction, ability to operate at high speeds and variable speeds, insensitivity to high temperatures, and fault tolerance, have made the SRM the right machine for many applications. The SRM project is apparently similar to the traditional machine design, but diverges on several points due to the unique features of the SRM. Over the years, several authors have proposed different project methodologies for SRM, each with its own particularities and often contradicting each other. Thus, for a beginner designer, the SRM project is a challenge from choosing the right design methodology to choosing the values of some dimensions, which are often empirical. This chapter aims to offer the beginner designer a detailed review of the main SRM design methodologies. In addition, an effect analysis will provide useful insights on how each design variable affects machine performance. The designer will thus have important data on which to base his choices during the SRM design.