Reluctance Mesh-Based Magnetic Equivalent Circuit Modeling of Switched Reluctance Motors for Static and Dynamic Analysis

Abstract

Designing a switched reluctance machine (SRM) is an iterative process. Sizing of the motor is one of the fundamental steps where the main geometry parameters are determined to achieve the performance requirements. Usually, finite element method (FEM) is employed in all design stages, which might require extensive computational burden. The magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) method is an alternative for typical FEM. There are two approaches for the MEC method: conventional MEC method and reluctance mesh-based MEC method. The conventional MEC method can be challenging when modifying the motor geometry while conducting dynamic analysis with current control. This article presents a reluctance mesh-based MEC model for SRMs that can overcome those challenges. Reluctance mesh-based MEC models are developed for three-phase 6/4, 6/16, 12/8 SRMs and four-phase 8/6, 8/10, and 16/12 SRMs. The models calculate the static and dynamic characteristics of the considered SRMs. The static and dynamic characteristics are compared with the results obtained from FEM and experimental tests.