High Torque Capability Segmented Hydrid Excited Switched Reluctance Motor for Electric Vehicle Applications

Switched reluctance motors (SRM) have the features of high adaptability, simple structure, low maintenance cost, and high torque/power capabilities, which gained a worldwide reputation. The SRMs have made recent advancements in electric vehicle applications, indicating their potential to replace conventional and permanent magnet (PM) motors. The hybrid excitation of SRM (HESRM) method is one of the predominant methods that incorporate rare earth metals in the conventional SRM to enhance the torque performance by increasing the air-gap flux density. However, the HESRM approach using PMs suppresses the unique features of SRMs through secondary excitation with PMs. In this paper, a new topology is introduced to improve the average torque of HESRM without employing PMs. The stator iron is segmented and replaced with high permeable material to the auxiliary coils to ensure the maximum torque capability through segmented HESRM (SHESRM). Furthermore, the machine's static and dynamic characteristics are investigated using the 2D finite element approach (2D-FEM). The results of the proposed motor are compared and validated with experimental analysis with the same machine rating. The findings show that the machine has maximum average torque in a wide speed range. The advantages of high fault tolerance, redundancy, and reliability prove that the proposed motor has a high potential for traction purposes.