VECTOR CONTROL AND RELIAl3ILITY IMPROVEMENT FOR A

SWITCHED RELUCTANCE MOTOR

Tian-€ha Liu, Yung-Ju Chen, and Ming-Tzan Lin
Department of Electrical Engineering
National Taiwan Institute of Technology
Taipei, Taiwan 106,

waveforms. The input currents can thus be decoupled as flux

ABSTRACT and torque currents, and the speed-loop controller design
easily achieved. I n addition, this paper studies the
This paper presents a vector control for a switched improvement i n reliability of the switched reluctance system.
reluctance motor. The design, and implementation of a three Strategies have also been proposed to solve the problems
phase, eight-pole, 10 IIP switched reluctance mot,or with a. arising from one phase of the inverter being opened or
vector control is described. Two different control algorithms shorted. Recently, T. H. Liu , J. R. Fu, and T. A. Lip0
which consist of a field oriented control, and a maximum proposed some strategies to improve the reliability of an
torque control are discussed. Performa.nce of the switched induction motor drive system. However, to the authors' best
reluctance niotor system is improved. In order to improve the knowledge, prior to the study described herein, the strategy
reliability of the system, some control strategies are proposed. of the reliability improvement for a switched reluctance
These strategies result, in the torqiie of the motor being held motor system had not been studied. The proposed block
constant while one leg of the inverter is opened or shorted. A diagram of vector control for a switched reluctance motor is
theoretical analysis, and experimental results follow. shown in Fig. 1. The system consists of four major elements:
a switched reluctance motor, a current regulated inverter, a
INTRODUCTION digital controller implemented by a microcomputer, and some
sensors. A 32-bit 16.7-MHz Motorola MC68020 monoboard
A number of studies have been published recently microprocessor (VME-110) serves as the speed-loop
[1]-[3] on switched reluctance motors as they are simple i n controller. The microprocessor-based controller is connected
construction, and economical in comparison with synchronous to various peripheral devices such as the D/A conversion
and induction motors. These studies have just focused simply modules, and a parallel 1/0 module via the VME bus. The
controller determines the reference stator current magnitude
on the analysis and design of the motor and the drive circuit *
configuration where the winding ciirrents have constant command is and current phase angle 6. Then, the
amplitudes and are injected into the motor in accordance three-phase sinusoidal wave generator, implemented by the
with the rotor position. Many disadvantages exist with the microprocessor, provides three-phase currents to the
traditional method. For example, a huge torqiie pulsation is current-regulated inverter. The three-phase motor line
produced during the period of phase current switching. As a, currents are measured by hall-effect current sensors. These
result of this pulsation, the speed range is not wide enough. measured currents we fed back to the current controller to
Unlike papers [1]-[3], this paper presents a vector control for execute the current regulated algorithm and then to the
a switched reluctance motor of large horsepower. Based on microprocessor to execute the strategies of reliability
the vector control principle, t,wo different control algorithms improvement. The other feedback quantity is the absolute
are proposed. One consists of a field orient,ed control, and the rotor position, measured by the absolute encoder mounted on
other, a maximum torque control. In accordance with these the motor shaft,.
control algorithms, the current commands are sinusoidal

538
 (2) Maximum Torque Control
The phase angle 6 is changed in the fieid oriented
Snitched control; however, it is kept constant in the maximum torque
Regulated
eluctonce
Inverter control. The electromagnetic torque is
Te = 0.5 i, 2 (Ld - L9) sin 26.
Hcroprocessor
(6)

m Absdute

Encoder

Fig. 1 Block diagram of proposed system.

CONTROL ALGORITHM
From ( 6 ) , the maximum torque is obtained when 6 is 45'.
The torque Te being proportional to i s 2 implies that the
relationship between the torque and the current magnitude is
nonlinear.

RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT

There are many cases where one phase of the inverter

A. Simplified Mathematical Model is opened or shorted because a solid-state device is easily
In this paper, a simplified model of the switched opened or shorted under abnormal operation. Friction braking
reluctance motor is used. Based on the vector control with a or magnetic braking are usually to be used to avoid an
d-q synchronous reference frame, the torque equation of the accident. However, those methods require expensive
simplified model can be described as mechanical devices such ad friction brakes or mechanical
contactors. Strategies are herein proposed where by this can
Te = ( L d - L 9 ) 9i i d (1)
be avoided simply adjusting the current commands of the
and the speed of the motor is drive system. Modification of the hardware is minimal. In
1
Pur = -J-- ITe-T1 - B m u r 1. (2) addition, regardless of faults, the motor can be operated
m
where Te is the electromagnetic torque, Ld and L are the d- continuously.
Q A. ONE PHASE OPENED
and q- axes inductances, id and i are the d- and q- axes When one phase of the motor is opened while running,
9
currents, p is the differential operator d/dt, wr is the rotor the torque is abruptly reduced. In order to maintain constant
shaft speed, Jm is the inertia constant, T, is the load torque, torque and speed while one phase of the motor is opened, a
control strategy has been derived. By suitably adjusting the
and Bm is the coefficient of viscous of the motor. other two phase current commands, the torque can be kept at
B:Torque Control Methods a constant.
(1) Field Oriented Control The coordinate system of the paper is shown in Fig. 2 .
In this method, the d- axis current is fixed at a According to the figure, the current commands of stationary
constant value to produce flux. The q- axis current, which is a-b-c frame can be expressed as
* *
called "torque current", is determined by the speed-loop i a = I cos 4 (7)
controller and the speed error. A fast response to the torque * * 2p)
ib = I cos (4 - - (8)
can thus be achieved. The torque of the motor can be * * 2
expressed as +
ic = I cos (4 -p) (9)
P
Te=(Ld-L ) i i
q d q
= K t iq (3)
a t
where Kt is the constant coefficient of torque.
The current maenitude and Dhase are
d + i 2 ) 112
i = ( i 2- - (4)
S - 9

Fig. 2 Coordination System

539
 * * * *
* where ia, ib, ic are a-b-c three phase current commands, I
is current vector comm&d, 4 is the current vector angle.
The stationary:a - P current commands are
* 2 * : 1 * 1 *
i, = -5- ( i a - T i b -Tic) (10)
* *
' P* =-8 (ib - i c ) (11)

s
After a- hase is opened, its current is equal to zero. This
implies i, is equal to zero also. Then, from (lO)-(ll), we can
obtain the a -p mea current commands, after a-phase

-
omned. are
'* 2
id=3-(-T' 1 'b*f - -2-
1 icf)
* Fig. 3 Main circuit configuration.
B. ONE PHASE SHORTED
* I * *
%=-8 ( ibf - i,f) Short circuits usr;ally occur when a solidstate device
is shot through, whereby, the current is increased abiuptly.
It is apparent to understand that if the torque remains Therefore, we recommend a fast action fuse in series with
constant, then, the efiaxes current commands should also
* * * * each winding of the motor. When a solid-state device is
remain constant, i. e., i, = id and ib = ip So, from shorted, the fuse forces the leg of the inverter open. The
equatioy (7)-(13), it is not difficult to derive system then becomes one phase open, and the strategy
f!i = 81* cos ( 4 - T r2 - + r ) discussed in part A of this section can be effectively applied.
(14)
* The fuses used here should be fast enough to interrupt
icf = 8 I cos (4 + -p+ -p)
2 1
(15)
the shorting current. If the fuses are too slow, the
After the a-phase is opened, the b-phase current command
three-phase currents of the motor become unbalanced, and
ibf has to increase its amplitude to fi,and lags phase angle the torque seriously altered. Fig. 4 shows the influence of the
1
-6" rad/sec; the c-phase current command iif, however, interruption time for different fuses. In this proposed system,
has to increase its amplitude to a,and leads its phase angle if the fuses can be broken in 13 ms, the speed of the motor
+r. can be kept near a constant. If the breaking time of the fuse
is over 13 ms, the speed of the motor is seriously altered.
Gimilarly, when the b-phase is opened, the a-phase 220

and c-phase current commands are adjusted as 1

eta.

+
03"
1
f:i = P I* cos (4 -p) (16) zoo. ~, - ,
-.--...
. . . ... . ..-..
- ,W. \? ............
.__...... __
.. ....
iSf = 8 I* cos (4 + T2= - T r ) 1 (17) ...... '... ,. a h .
... ....
-.I
......
When the c-phase is opened, the other two phase current > OW-
im. .....
......
.. - ..
$ 180. ......
commands are os0 -
......... SO-9
.......
i> = 8 I* cos (4 --r (18) I40 - ..... .. . . . .
.....
.......
2 1
i t = $S I* cos (4 - -p+ T r )
130.
(19) 120

Fig. 3 shows the main circuit of the proposed system.

In order to implement the system, a neutral line is connected
between the neutral point of the motor and the neutral point
of the DC voltage source. While one phase of the inverter is
opened, the neutral current increases abruptly. So, an R - C EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
network is used to keep the average voltage of the plus half
and minus half voltages equal. The value of the resistance The implementation of the system is shown in Fig. 1,
and the capacitor is selected according to the trade off where the microprocessor system consists of a MC 68020
between the transient response of the voltages and power CPU, a MC 68881 coprocessor, and some peripheral devices
losses of the resistances.

540
such as D/A converter, A/D converter, and parallel 1/0
1x)rl.s. Tlic microprocessor syskni cxcci~tc~ I.hc vccl.or con1 rol
algorithm and thc strategies o l reliability improvrmcnt. The
sampling period of the microprocessor is 1 111s. The
parameters o l the R-C network are choscn as: R , = 500R,
and C1 = 2200pl. The motor is tlir_ce-phasc, eight-pole,
IOIIP, and is made by Allenwest Company. The parainet.er,s Fig. 6. Spccd responses at 400 r/min.
of the switched reluctance motor are sliown in Table I.

Table I
\
Parameters of the Switched nelrictaiice Motor
Ld 0.13II
0.06511
Lq
R.9 20
2
J 0.0222 N-msec /rad
Dm 0.00028 N-m-sec/rad

The concepts behind this paper ha.vc bwn validat.cd i n

the laboratory. The system has very low torque pulsation and
can reduce the noise of motor opcra.t,ion. 'The implemcnt.cd
system ca.n be operated at as low as 15 r/min. Fig. 5 show
the torque to ccirrent curves of dircrcni coiif.rol mcthotls.
Fig. G to Fig. 8 show the results ohtained when the motor was
operated at, a 1 N.m load. The measured spcctl rcspnnscs arc
shown i n Fig. G. The figure clearly intlicat,cs that the
maximum torque cont,rol has a hcl,ter response I.lian the field
oriented control although they operate rinrlcr the same
conditions and the same parameters of thc cont.roller. Fig. i
shows the currents and speccl of the motor whcii ~h I)-phasc
is opened. According t,o these cxpc.rimcnl,al results, I hc spcctl
can be kept at, a constant,. Fig. 8 shows the spcetl a n d
currents o l the motor. Although one solid+ta!,e device of the
I>-phase of the invcrter is xliorled, the slwctl o l I.hr nio1.or is
still close to constant.

..
-
nu**n nw -
hldakmd rmrnl

I
.-/-
1 I 4
*
,I -
.

(dl
.
I

Fig. 7. The wavclorms or a motor when the b-phase is

If (Amp)
Fig. 5 Torque to current curves of different, mntrol. op"A.(a) a-phase current (b) 1)-phase current (c) c-phase
current (d) speed.
 CONCLUSION

In this paper, the design and implementation of a

switched reluctance motor system are proposed. Based on the
vector control formulation, this study has developed two
different algorithm of vector control, and some strategies to
improve reliability. Experimental results validate the
theoretical analysis, and show the applicability of vector
control in switched reluctance drive. In comparison with the
conventional desjgn method, this drive system has lower
noise, lower harmonics, and better performance at low speed.
Moreover, from the simplified model, a systematic controller
design procedure can be easily derived. The results presented
herein represent a first step toward the vector control and
reliability improvement for a switched reluctance motor.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are grateful for the financial support of

the National Science Council, Republic of China, under the
Grant NSC-83-0404-E-011-032.

REFERENCES
R. Krishnan and P. N. Materu, "Design of a
single-switch-per-phase converter for switched
reluctance motor drives," IEEE Trans. Ind. Electron.
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L. H. Hoang, K. Slimani, and P. Viarouge, "A
current-controlled quasi-resonant converter for
switched-reluctance motor," IEEE Trans. Ind.
Electron. , vol. 38, no.5, pp. 355-362, Oct. 1991.
M. Ehsani, I. Husain, and A. B. Kulkami,
"Elimination of discrete position sensor and current
sensor in switched reluctance motor drives," IEEE
Trans. Ind. Appl., vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 128-135,
Jan./Feb. 1992.
T. H. Liu, J. R. Fu, and T. A. Lipo, " A strategy for
improving reliability ,,of field-oriented controlled
induction motor drives, IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., vol.
29, no.5, pp. 910418, Sep./Oct. 1993.
,, I, I, I,
1w
I* ( 4 11

(4
Fig. 8. The waveforms of a motor when the b-phase is
shorted. (a) a-phase current (b) b-phase current (c) c-phase
current (d) speed.