Control Engineering: SR motor anatomy: See inside switched reluctance motors Page 1 of 2

SR Motor Anatomy: See Inside Switched Reluctance Motors

Simple Electromechanical Structure Of Switched Reluctance (SR) Motors
Offers Benefits Of Robustness And Reliability By Eliminating Permanent
Magnets, Rotor Bars, And More - Tutorial.
Frank J. Bartos, P.E, Control Engineering

03/09/2010

Control Engineering feature article: Resurgence for

Simple electromechanical structure of
switched reluctance (SR) motors offers
benefits of robustness and reliability by
eliminating permanent magnets, rotor bars,
and more.
SR Motors, Drives? Advances in controls and
simulation software help switched reluctance (SR)
motors--one of the oldest electric motor types--
remain competitive.

Origins of switched reluctance (SR) motors

can be traced back to the reluctance machine
design of the mid-19th century, making them
one of the oldest electric motor types around.
The term SR has been in use for about 40
years, where "switched" indicates sequential
switching of current among stator phase
windings of the motor--necessary to develop
a rotating magnetic field (see main article)--
and "reluctance" refers to the resistive
property of the magnetic circuit.

Simple rotor, stator construction

Rotor structure of an SR motor is very simple, Simplest possible 1-phase SR motor (a) illustrates
comprising a stack of electrical steel the switched reluctance principle. In the more
laminations mounted on the motor shaft. The practical 3-phase motor (b), energizing stator
rotor has no windings or rotor bars, no phase pair B (for position shown) produces
permanent magnets, and no electrical clockwise torque; energizing phase pair C produces
contacts. conter-clockwise torque. Design variations include
more motor phase, stator poles, and rotor poles.
Absence of rotor conductors eliminates a heat
source, increasing bearing and lubricant life.
Lower power losses improve energy efficiency. The low SR rotor losses are especially relevant
during starting, when they are actually less than at normal full-load running condition, according to
Emerson Motor Co. This permits prolonged operation in the stalled condition, and repeated starting
under full load; starting current never exceeds full-load operating current. "Such performance is
often not possible with conventional drives because of large rotor electrical losses, and subsequent
rotor heating under such conditions," says Rob Boteler, director of marketing at Emerson Motor.

The "salient" pole construction-with gaps between poles rather than a solid circular cross-section-
creates a relatively low-inertia rotor which allows for rapid dynamic response and minimizes risk of
mechanical damage from shock loads in high-ratio, gear-driven applications, Boteler explains.
"Because of its uniquely simple construction, the SR rotor is well suited to operation at high speeds.
It can tolerate high levels of vibration and thermal cycling." Absence of permanent magnets brings
significant benefits in terms of environmental compatibility, and permits repair of SR motors in the
field or in a conventional repair shop.

An SR motor's stator is likewise a simple, robust structure. It consists of singly pitched coils placed
over the salient stator poles (see diagram in main article); the coils are easily pre-wound on a
bobbin. "Overall [heating] losses in an SR motor are concentrated within the stator and are
relatively easily dissipated--in case of a standard totally enclosed machine by conduction to the
relatively cool exterior of the motor frame," states Boteler.

Moreover, stator windings--unlike those of an induction motor--are not distributed over many slots,
and the phases do not cross each other in the slot or in the end-connections. This reduces insulation
stresses and largely eliminates risk of phase-to-phase insulation failure. Simplicity of the coils allows
the end windings to be much shorter than those typically found in ac motors. "As a result, energy
losses associated with end windings are reduced. This further improves efficiency and permits the
design of different SR motor configurations--for example, flat-shaped ("pancake") motors," Boteler
adds. www.emerson.com

[Note, this section of the article is adopted from a paper, "Switched Reluctance Compressor Drive,"
presented by Emerson Motor Co. at EEMODS 2009 (Efficient Electric Motor Drive Systems), Nantes,
France, Sept. 2009.]

Fault tolerance

An additional feature unique to SR motors is the ability to continue to operate (and also likely to
start) under a phase loss condition. However, the motor would run less smooth and with less torque
output. In theory, only one pole pair is required for operation. "This contrasts with ac induction
machines, which will fail to operate when you lose a phase," says George Holling, technical director
at Rocky Mountain Technologies.

This feature is of particular advantage in applications such as defense, aerospace, and medical,
where ability to complete a mission and/or return safely overrides reduced torque output and noise
generation. Holling mentions that a 4-phase SR motor can typically maintain 80% of normal starting
torque with one phase inoperative. www.rockymountaintechnologies.com

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Control Engineering: SR motor anatomy: See inside switched reluctance motors Page 2 of 2

One recent paper that addresses the issue of fault tolerance in SR systems should be of interest to
automation professionals. It can be found at
www.scribd.com/doc/24541914/3rd-International-Symposium-on-Electrical-Engineering-and-Energy
-Converters

Also, SPEED software, a motor design tool (developed at Univ. of Glasgow, U.K., as a valuable
design tool for building SR motors) is available in the U.S. (and the Americas) through the
distributor Magsoft Corp. (SPEED stands for Scottish Power Electronics and Electric Drives; it's a
consortium.) www.magsoft-flux.com

Also read, from Control Engineering :

- Springtime for Switched Reluctance Motors? (Feb. 2003) ;

- 'Forward to the Past' with SR Technology (Nov. 1999) ; and

- Motors & Drives channel .

- Frank J. Bartos, P.E, Control Engineering Consulting Editor, braunbart@sbcglobal.net.

www.controleng.com

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