Solar photovoltaic fed synchronous reluctance motor with optimized rotor flux barriers: Design and performance optimization

Abstract

This paper focuses on enhancing the design of a synchronous reluctance motor (SyRM) specifically tailored for solar photovoltaic (PV) water pumping applications. With growing adoption of green technologies and renewable energy sources, particularly solar power, there is a need to boost the motor's efficiency to meet the demands of such applications. Utilizing renewable energy for water pumping offers significant advantages in terms of sustainability, scalability, and environmentally friendly energy generation. Achieving optimal efficiency and reliability is paramount, as it reduces overall system cost and enhances reliability. SyRM design methodology in this study integrates both analytical and finite element (FE) procedures. Unlike other motor types, the rotor structure of the SyRM does not include any cages, magnets, or windings, resulting in a robust, reliable, and cost-effective manufacturing process. In SyRM, the rotor is constructed solely with barriers, which significantly impact torque shaping, torque ripple content, and power factor. This paper primarily examines the influence of various air-barrier shapes on different motor performance parameters, such as average torque, torque ripple, saturation, cross-section, and saliency ratio. The selected motor configuration for this investigation is a 4-pole, 100 Hz synchronous reluctance motor with 24 stator slots. The accuracy of the FE analysis findings is validated through a prototype of designed SyRM, followed by comprehensive performance evaluations conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. Additionally, this paper addresses an improved control strategy for a SyRM-based photovoltaic (PV) water pumping system. It eliminates the need for a speed controller in the position sensor-less field-oriented control (FOC) of SyRM. The solar water pump drive involves two stages of power conversion.