An Improved Low-Cost Power Converter for Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM)

Switched reluctance motor (SRM) is one of the promising drive motors in applications like electric vehicles, washing machines, etc. Many different controller circuit topologies are available, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The figures of merit for these drives are cost, efficiency, overall size and weight, acoustic noise level, torque ripple, and reliability. In SRM drives, the motor winding needs to be magnetized and demagnetized fast for better performance at higher speeds. In this paper, the authors have proposed a power converter that delivers higher demagnetization with less complexity. It achieves this using fewer switches and gate drivers, leading to cost savings and simplified design. The proposed circuit can be tuned for both high-speed and low-speed. Experimental results confirm the functionality of the converter, matching simulated expectations.