Determination of direct and quadrature axis inductances of synchronous reluctance motors with allowance for cross saturation

Abstract

AbstractThe d‐axis inductance of reluctance motor is affected by not only the d‐axis current but also the q‐axis current, because of cross magnetic saturation between the direct and quadrature axes. This situation is similar for the q‐axis inductance. The authors propose a method to determine the d‐axis inductance related to the d‐ and q‐axis currents and the q‐axis inductance related to the d‐ and q‐axis currents from a standstill test. This method involves the following four steps. First a rectangular‐wave voltage, alternated between plus and minus, is applied to the two armature winding terminals after breaking the rotor in the d‐axis position. Secondly, the voltage and current between the terminals are measured. Thirdly, the d‐axis inductance related with d‐axis current is calculated from the voltage and current. Finally, the process above is repeated when a DC current flows from the remaining armature terminal to neutral point terminal and the d‐inductance related to the d‐ and q‐axis currents is derived. A similar treatment applies when determining the q‐axis inductance related to the d‐ and q‐axis currents in the q‐axis rotor position. The method is implemented on a 1.1 kW–178 V–6.3 A‐4P–2200 min−1 flux barrier type reluctance motor. Results of load performance on a vector controlled reluctance motor measured by on‐load tests and calculated from the d‐ and q‐axis inductances obtained by the proposed method clearly demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 149(4): 52–59, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10377