A motor main body of a switched reluctance motor includes a rotor-having a plurality of rotor salient poles, a stator having a plurality of stator salient poles, a drive winding of each phase wound around stator salient poles of the plurality of stator salient poles, of the phase, and a permanent magnet disposed in a stator yoke. A drive circuit outputs a drive current to the drive winding of each phase to rotate the rotor. A pulse current output circuit outputs a pulse current to be superimposed on the drive current during an application time shorter than an application time of the drive current to the drive winding of each phase.

An electric machine controller is described that is arranged to direct a power converter to cause pulsed operation of the electric machine in selected operational ranges to deliver a desired output. The pulsed operation of the electric machine causes the output of the electric machine to alternate between a first torque level, a second torque level, and an intermediate torque level range providing a shaped pulse pattern. The second torque level is lower than the first torque level and the intermediate torque level range is between the first torque level and the second torque level. The first torque level, second torque level, intermediate torque level range, and shaped pulse pattern are selected to provide a third torque level output such that the system has a higher energy conversion efficiency during the pulsed operation of the electric machine than the system would have when operated at a third torque level that would be required to drive the electric machine in a continuous manner to deliver the third torque level output, wherein the intermediate torque level range is a range of less than 5 Nm and wherein the intermediate torque level range is provided for at least 1 millisecond.

An SR drive with an acoustic noise reduction system for reducing vibration and acoustic noise in a switched reluctance motor (SRM). The vibration and acoustic noise at specific harmonics of current excitation in SRM are in a proportional relationship with the radial force harmonics acting at SRM stator teeth. The acoustic noise reduction system includes a processor on which is installed an acoustic noise reduction application designed to derive an optimum current waveform for generating an average torque satisfying an optimum torque condition and creating radial force with minimum amplitude at the desired order of harmonics of current excitation. A reduction in the amplitude of the specific radial force harmonics utilizing the optimum current waveform minimizes the vibration and acoustic noise in the SRM. The acoustic noise reduction system applies turn-on and turn-off angles at the optimum current waveform to improve the system efficiency.

Disclosed are various embodiments for reluctance synchronous machines having a rotor comprising a plurality of rotor core assemblies configured to form a reluctance torque tunnel having at least a first reluctance tunnel segment and a second reluctance tunnel segment and a stator having a plurality of coils configured to form a coil winding assembly, the coil winding assembly positioned within the reluctance torque tunnel, such that at least one of the plurality of coils is surrounded by the first reluctance tunnel segment or the second reluctance tunnel segment, alternatively the rotor may be the coil winding assembly and the stator may be the reluctance torque tunnel.

Disclosed are various embodiments for reluctance synchronous machines having a rotor comprising a plurality of rotor core assemblies configured to form a reluctance torque tunnel having at least a first reluctance tunnel segment and a second reluctance tunnel segment and a stator having a plurality of coils configured to form a coil winding assembly, the coil winding assembly positioned within the reluctance torque tunnel, such that at least one of the plurality of coils is surrounded by the first reluctance tunnel segment or the second reluctance tunnel segment, alternatively the rotor may be the coil winding assembly and the stator may be the reluctance torque tunnel.

An electrical sub-assembly comprises a stator having a plurality of coils and cooling means attached to the stator. The electrical sub-assembly further comprises a plurality of pairs of diodes attached to the cooling means, each pair of diodes being in antiparallel configuration and having three electrical terminals. One of the three electrical terminals is a common terminal shared by both diodes in each pair of diodes in each pair of diodes. A plurality of busbars electrically connect each of the diodes to at least one of the plurality of coils via one or more of the electrical terminals. In use, the cooling means is configured to simultaneously cool the stator and the plurality of diodes. The electrical sub-assembly may have particular application as a part of a switched reluctance machine.

An electrical sub-assembly comprises a stator having a plurality of coils and cooling means attached to the stator. The electrical sub-assembly further comprises a plurality of pairs of diodes attached to the cooling means, each pair of diodes being in antiparallel configuration and having three electrical terminals. One of the three electrical terminals is a common terminal shared by both diodes in each pair of diodes in each pair of diodes. A plurality of busbars electrically connect each of the diodes to at least one of the plurality of coils via one or more of the electrical terminals. In use, the cooling means is configured to simultaneously cool the stator and the plurality of diodes. The electrical sub-assembly may have particular application as a part of a switched reluctance machine.

Disclosed herein are reluctance actuators and methods for feedback control of their applied force. Embodiments of the reluctance actuators include an electromagnet positioned to deflect a metallic plate to provide a haptic output. The control of the force is provided without force sensors (sensorless control) by monitoring voltage and/or current (V/I) applied during an actuation. For a given intended force output, an electrical parameter value (flux, current, or other parameter) is read from a look up table (LUT). The LUT may store a present value of the inductance of the reluctance actuator. The feedback control may be a quasi-static control in which the LUT is updated after actuation based on the monitored V/I. The feedback control may be real-time, with a controller comparing an estimated electrical parameter value based on the measured V/I with the value from the LUT.

Disclosed herein are reluctance actuators and methods for feedback control of their applied force. Embodiments of the reluctance actuators include an electromagnet positioned to deflect a metallic plate to provide a haptic output. The control of the force is provided without force sensors (sensorless control) by monitoring voltage and/or current (V/I) applied during an actuation. For a given intended force output, an electrical parameter value (flux, current, or other parameter) is read from a look up table (LUT). The LUT may store a present value of the inductance of the reluctance actuator. The feedback control may be a quasi-static control in which the LUT is updated after actuation based on the monitored V/I. The feedback control may be real-time, with a controller comparing an estimated electrical parameter value based on the measured V/I with the value from the LUT.

A method of controlling a switched reluctance motor is disclosed herein. The motor comprises a stator carrying a plurality of phase windings and a rotor. The method comprises activating the phase windings in a sequence selected to apply torque to the rotor, wherein during a cycle of rotation of the rotor the phase windings switch between an active state in which current in the phase winding applies torque to the rotor and an inactive state; applying a voltage to a selected phase winding whilst the selected phase winding is in the inactive state to provide a flux in the selected phase winding; determining the current in the selected phase winding; determining the rotor angle based on the current and the flux; and controlling said activating based on the rotor angle.