IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS, VOL. 31, NO.

6, NOVEMBER 1995 3503

Analysis and Comparison of Switched Reluctance Motors

With Different Physical Sizes Using A 2D Finite Element Method
T. S. Low, H. Lin and S. X. Chen
Magnetics Technology Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore 05 11

Abstract-This paper investigates the influence of physical size convenience in comparison. A PC-based design package [3]
of switched reluctance motor on its output performance. Three is used for the design of these three SR motors. The main
four-phase switched reluctance motors with different dimensions of three SR motors are shown in Table I.
dimensions and power ratings are used for comparison. The
magnetic characteristics of each motor are described using 2D
finite element method. Field solutions from finite element
calculation and analysis combined with the output equation are
processed to give the energy conversion loop, v-
i trajectory,
for each motor. The comparison of the output performance and
- i loop for each motor provides the basis for the discussion
on the relationship of output performance of switched
reluctance motor to its physical size.

I. INTRODUCTION

Switched reluctance (SR) motors have simple doubly-

salient pole structures. Their excitation power is supplied
only by the phase currents. Most of them exhibit a high level 111. THE MAGNETIC
CHARACTERISTICSO F
of saturation. These make their magnetic characteristics S R MOTORS
complicated and, therefore, the influence of motor physical
size on output capability is quite different from that of A two-dimensional finite element method is used to
conventional motors. In this paper, three 4-phase SR motors analyze the magnetic characteristics of the motors. For each
with different dimensions and power ratings are used for motor, the solutions of the magnetic field with different rotor
comparison. The magnetic characteristics, flux linkage, displacements and phase excitations are obtained. Their
coenergy and static torque, are calculated for each motor. magnetic field characteristics are described over the entire
The calculation methods for these characteristics from the area of the motor in terms of magnetic vector potentials.
field solutions of 2D finite element (FE) analysis will be The important magnetization characteristics, the phase flux
introduced. The field solutions are processed to give the linkage v(0,i), function of rotor position 8 and phase
v
related energy conversion loop, - i trajectory, for each SR current i , are obtained by integrating the vector potentials.
motor. The output performance of these SR motors were In 2D FE analysis, the flux linkage through one winding
calculated using FE solutions and analytical methods. Their turn may be evaluated from the vector potential as,
comparison is discussed in detail. The relationship of output
performance of the SR motors with physical size using an + + - - f - - f - - f +
cp(B,i)= JB.d S = J(VxA)*d S =dA*d 1
analytical method is investigated. S S 1 (1)
= Lstk[A(Xj Y,) - A(-xj, Y j)]
9
11. THE DIMENSIONS
OF SR MOTORS
L,,k is the stack length of motor, (+x,,y,) are the points
The three different SR motors used in this paper are within the winding region. Considering the total winding
integral horse power (IHP) SRM, fractional horse power turns per phase N , equation (1) can be further developed
P
(FHP) SRM and Mini SRM. All three SR motors are 4-
as,
phase motors with the normal 8/6 configuration. The ratios
LIP
of stack lengths to rotor bore diameters of these three y@,i)=--+ jA(x,y)dSw,- IA(x,y)dSw,l (2)
motors are deliberately selected to be approximately 1.4 for sw %, sw>

S is the winding crossing area. Sw, and Sw, represent the

W
Manuscript received by 9 February, 1995. sides of the winding region. The field solutions which are
T. S Low, email: mtchead@nus.sg, Te1:(65)-7726851, Fax:(65)-7766527 shown in Fig. 1-Fig. 3 give the profiles of flux linkages for
H. Lin, email:mtclinh@nus.sg, Te1:(65)-7727946,Fax:(65)-7766527 each motor.
S. X. Chen, email:mtccsx@nus.sg, Tel:(65)-7727804, Fax:(65)-7766527

0018-9464/95$04.00 0 1995 IEEE

3504

The principle of virtual work is used to calculate the static

torque from the range of rotor positions and phase
excitations and is expressed as,

The coenergy, W(i,0), can be obtained by integrating the

flux linkage v(e,i) from the range of rotor positions and
phase excitations,

W ( i , e ) = 0~ ~ ( i . 0 ! d i ~ = , ~ , , , (4)
The torque and coenergy are functions of phase current and Fig 4 Profile of static torque of IHP SR Motor
rotor position. Fig. 4.- Fig. 6 show the profiles of static
torque for each SR motor. -1

Fig. 5 Profile of static torque of EHP SR Motor

Fig. 1 Profile of flux linkage of IHP SR motor

Fig. 6 Profile of static torque of Mini SR Motoi

Fig. 2 Profile of flux linkage of FHF SR motor

N.THE ENERGY
CONVERSION LOOPS OF
SR MOTORS

In SR motors, the y - i trajectory is often used to describe

the process of energy conversion for one work stroke. A
hybrid method combining dynamic time-integration on the
output voltage equation [3] with field solutions is used to
obtain the energy conversion loops, v - i trajectory, for each
SR motor. Fig. 7 - Fig. 9 show the enclosed I- i
trajectories of OACO for each SR motor.

The flat topped current-fed y ~ i- trajectory is considered

Fig. 3 Profile of flux linkage of Mini SR motor for analysis. During one work stroke, the area OACO, WO,

represents the effective energy converted into the mechanical
work, the area OCBO, Ws, represents the stored magnetic
energy and therefore area OACBO, Ws +WO, represents the
total energy from supply. The ratio of energy conversion,
EC = W,, / (W, +- Wco1, is usually used to describe the
effectiveness of energy conversion. In ideal energy
conversion the value EC is one. IHP SR motor exhibits
magnetic saturation around the aligned position at the rated
phase current {I, = 8.5(A ) } and is considered a saturated
machine of which EC is more than 0.5. Both the FHP SR
motor and Mini-SR motor do not exhibit the saturation
effects around the aligned position at rated current and are
considered non-saturating machines whose ECs are less than
0.5. Therefore, at peak flux linkage of +,, the saturation
effect on the magnetic circuit around the aligned position
enhances the effectiveness of energy conversion of SR
motors.
Fig. 7 v - i trajectory of IHP SR motor
Fig. 8 v - i trajectory of FHP SR motor
12 0
Fig. 9 v - i trajectory of Mini SR motor
3505
V. CONCLUSIONS
The comparison of magnetic characteristics and energy
conversion loops of three SR motors shows that the output
capability of SR motors will be reduced in different ways as
the motor size is reduced. Assuming S to be a generalized
linear dimension representing the overall size of the motor,
L is the phase inductance and 6 the aregap, then, the flux
linkage is described as @ = L * i (Sz / 6) * i and static torque
DC
as T = 0.5 * (i2 * L) = iz * S z / 6 in the non-saturating case. As
the motor size is reduced the excitation level is limited by
the possible cooling capability. As the resistive losses
(P, = i 2 * R A=I' / S ) are proportional to the area of surface
(S2) available for cooling, the acceptable excitation level is
governed by: i2 / S = S z iKS". The flux linkage can be
simply described as @ = S' / 6 and static torque as T S5 / 6.
0~
It is noted that as the motor size is reduced the airgap length
( 6 ) does not scale down in small motors because of
mechanical constraints. Therefore, the flux linkage and
static torque are severely reduced once the airgap length is
minimum. It is also noted that in the energy conversion
loop, higher unsaturated inductance at the aligned position
(Lau) or higher peak flux linkage (+b) produce more
efficient energy conversion. This inductance can be
described as Ldu= S 2 16. In IHP SR motor, the required
mechanical constraint in the airgap region allows the airgap
length to be much smaller in comparison with the overall
motor size (S ), thus a higher La"is obtained. As the motor
size ( S ) is scaled down to that of the Mini-SR motor, the
necessary mechanical constraint of airgap length forces Lau
to be varied in proportion with S 2 . Small motors, therefore,
exhibit a small value of La,,.
REFERENCES
[l]. R. Arumugam, el. "Magnetic field analysis of a
switched reluctance motor using two dimension finite
element model", IEEE Tran. on Magnetics, Vol. MAG-
21, No. 5, Sept. 1985, pp1883-1885.
VI. J. M. Stephenson and el. "Computation of torque and
current in doubly-salient reluctance motors from
nonlinear magnetization data", Proc. IEE, Vol. 126,
Pt.B, NO. 5, pp393-396.
131. T. S. Low, S. X. Chen and H. Lin, "An approach to
design and simulation of fractional horse power (FHP)
switched reluctance motors", Proc. of International
Con$ on Electrical Machines (ICEM '94).