Apparatus and methods of operating an electric motor are provided, comprising energising a plurality of stator coils in sequence to rotate a rotor. Each said coil is energised with a repeating pulse sequence comprising at least a first portion and a second portion, the first and second portions repeating alternately to form the repeating pulse sequence. The first portion comprises a first pattern of pulses, each pulse in the first pattern having either a first polarity or second polarity, and at least two consecutive pulses in the first pattern having the same polarity. The second portion comprises a second pattern of pulses, the second pattern of pulses having the same pattern as said first pattern of pulses, but having inverted polarity with respect to said first pattern of pulses.

Apparatus and methods are provided for operating an electric motor, comprising selectively energising the coils of a stator having a plurality of stator teeth, each stator tooth having a said coil mounted thereon. The stator coils of a subset of the stator teeth are energised during a given time period to attract a corresponding rotor tooth into alignment with each of the stator teeth in the subset over the given time period. The stator coil of at least one stator tooth in the subset is energised during a portion of the given time period before the at least one stator tooth overlaps the corresponding rotor tooth.

Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of a synchronous reluctance machine (SynRM) control are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a control device structured to operate a converter coupled to a synchronous reluctance machine and receive measurements of current. The device comprises a converter controller structured to detect a power supply restoration, operate the converter so as to transmit a series voltage vectors relative to the stationary reference frame to the stator of the synchronous reluctance machine, receive current measurements following the transmission of each of the voltage vectors, estimate the rotor position using the characteristics of the voltage vector and the received current measurements corresponding to at least one voltage vector, estimate the rotor speed using the characteristics of the voltage vectors and the received current measurements corresponding to at least two voltage vectors, and operate the converter so as to apply voltage to the stator.

Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of a synchronous reluctance machine (SynRM) control are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a control device structured to operate a converter coupled to a synchronous reluctance machine and receive measurements of current. The device comprises a converter controller structured to detect a power supply restoration, operate the converter so as to transmit a series voltage vectors relative to the stationary reference frame to the stator of the synchronous reluctance machine, receive current measurements following the transmission of each of the voltage vectors, estimate the rotor position using the characteristics of the voltage vector and the received current measurements corresponding to at least one voltage vector, estimate the rotor speed using the characteristics of the voltage vectors and the received current measurements corresponding to at least two voltage vectors, and operate the converter so as to apply voltage to the stator.

A system and method for torque compensation in a switched reluctance (SR) machine disposed on a machine is disclosed. The system may comprise a SR machine, an inverter and a controller. The controller is in operable communication with the inverter and is configured to determine a commanded main current associated with energization by a main current of a first portion of the plurality of windings for a controlling phase, and determine a commanded parasitic current associated with energization by a parasitic current of a second portion of the windings in a non-controlling phase. The controller is further configured to determine an offset current based on the commanded parasitic current, and determine a target current based on a first sum of the commanded main current and the offset current, and command the inverter to actuate the target current in the first portion of the windings during the controlling phase.

The rotation of the synchronous reluctance motor is controlled through energization of the winding with current of a phase having a ratio k between the total sum of radial-direction widths of the slits on the q-axis and a magnetic gap length, and having a lead angle β from the d-axis. Among the core layers, the radial-direction width, on the q-axis, of the core layer that lies at a position closest in the circumferential direction to a point P at which there intersect the outer periphery of the rotor and the straight line passing through the rotor center and drawn at an angle ψ=arctan(tan β/(1+0.2k)) from the d-axis, is larger than the radial-direction width of other core layers on the q-axis.

The rotation of the synchronous reluctance motor is controlled through energization of the winding with current of a phase having a ratio k between the total sum of radial-direction widths of the slits on the q-axis and a magnetic gap length, and having a lead angle β from the d-axis. Among the core layers, the radial-direction width, on the q-axis, of the core layer that lies at a position closest in the circumferential direction to a point P at which there intersect the outer periphery of the rotor and the straight line passing through the rotor center and drawn at an angle ψ=arctan(tan β/(1+0.2k)) from the d-axis, is larger than the radial-direction width of other core layers on the q-axis.

A method and apparatus for quasi-sensorless adaptive control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM). The method comprises the steps of: applying a voltage pulse to an inactive phase winding and measuring current response in each inactive winding. Motor index pulses are used for speed calculation and to establish a time base. Slope of the current is continuously monitored which allows the shaft speed to be updated multiple times and to track any change in speed and fix the dwell angle based on the shaft speed. The apparatus for quasi-sensorless control of a high rotor pole switched-reluctance motor (HRSRM) comprises a switched-reluctance motor having a stator and a rotor, a three-phase inverter controlled by a processor connected to the switched-reluctance motor, a load and a converter.

An inverter controller according to an embodiment has an inverter main circuit, current detectors, a current command value calculator, a voltage command value calculator and an estimator. The inverter main circuit is capable of being electrically connected to a rotary drive target. The current detectors detect current values output from the inverter main circuit. The current command value calculator calculates current command values with which an output voltage output from the inverter main circuit becomes equal to or more than a target value. The voltage command value calculator calculates voltage command values with which the current values become equal to the current command values. The estimator calculates an estimated rotational phase angle of the rotary drive target, based on the voltage command values and the current values.

A short pitched switched reluctance motor control apparatus comprising a voltage provider comprising a first coupling and a second coupling configured to be coupled to a phase winding of the switched reluctance motor for applying a voltage to drive current in the winding between the first and second coupling is disclosed. The apparatus further comprises a controller configured to apply a first voltage pulse to the first coupling, and to apply a second voltage pulse to the second coupling, wherein the start of the second pulse is delayed with respect to the start of the first pulse, and the end of the first pulse is delayed with respect to the end of the second pulse.