Operating performances of a two-phase switched reluctance motor

The 4/2 pole, 2-phase configuration of switched reluctance motors is characterized by its simple motor construction and simple power electronic circuit topology. This motor is known with different air gap geometries to enhance its starting performance. This paper investigates the operating performance of this motor type with four different rotor designs having different air gap geometries. A numerical approach utilizing finite element magnetic circuit analysis method to predict the flux linkage characteristics for different rotor designs is carried-out. A computer simulation is implemented based on these nonlinear characteristics to predict the operating performance of the four different designs. Torque per ampere is used to evaluate the different designs and useful conclusions are obtained.