Design of a system for analysis and monitoring of vibrations in Linear Switched Reluctance machines

The acceptance and usage of switched reluctance machines has been conditioned, beside other reasons, by the acoustic noise produced. Research efforts to minimize vibrations on the design stage and during machine operation mainly concentrate on rotational machines and only a few works can be found focusing on the linear configuration. This paper proposes a system to analyze and monitoring vibrations in switched reluctance machines, with special focus on the linear configuration, aiming a real-time data operation. The system is based on the MSP430 family of microcontrollers manufactured by Texas Instruments Inc, and comprises a network of intelligent accelerometers sensors, distributed along the machine mechanical structure. The intelligent sensors communicate via USB 2.0 protocol with the Host PC. An experimental vibration tests applied to a Linear Switched Reluctance Actuator (LSRA) is performed and results are presented to validate the proposed system.