Making the case for applications of switched reluctance motor technology in automotive products

TLDR

Switched reluctance machines are attractive for automotive use because they are robust, rugged, fault‑resilient, and operate over a wide speed range, yet concerns remain about efficiency, sensorless control, parameter adaptation, and acoustic noise. This paper presents three recent technologies that enhance SRM performance in these areas and discusses the new opportunities and outstanding challenges for automotive applications. The technologies were confirmed by both simulation and experimental testing.

Abstract

Switched reluctance machines (SRM) offer attractive attributes for automotive applications. These include robustness to harsh operational conditions, rugged structure, fault resilient performance, and a wide range of speed. The main debate over the adequacy of switched reluctance drives in automotive applications has often focused on efficiency and position sensorless control over the entire speed range, adaptation of control algorithms in the presence of parameter variations, and high levels of acoustic noise and vibration. The present paper demonstrates three key technologies developed over the past few years that have resulted in tangible improvements in the performance of SRM/generators (SRM/G) as related to the above areas of interest. This paper intends to illustrate the new possibilities and remaining challenges in applications of SRM in automotive industry. The proposed technologies have been validated by simulation and experimental results