An SR motor includes a rotor including N rotor salient poles where N is an integer of 2 or more, a stator including M stator salient poles where M is an integer of 3 or more, a shaft rotatably connected to the rotor, a sensor magnet that is fixed to an outer circumference of the shaft and includes an S pole and an N pole alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the shaft, and three magnetic sensors opposed to the sensor magnet. The number of poles of the sensor magnet is N.

A motor system includes a reluctance motor and a circuit connected to the reluctance motor. The reluctance motor includes a rotor including N rotor salient poles where N is an integer of 2 or more, a stator including M stator salient poles where M is an integer of 3 or more, 3-phase coils to excite the stator salient poles, and a sensor to detect a rotational position of the rotor. The circuit applies 120-degree conduction to the 3-phase coils when the rotor is rotated in a first direction from a stopped state (initial position), and applies 180-degree conduction to the 3-phase coils when the rotor is rotated in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction from the stopped state.

A motor system includes a reluctance motor and a circuit connected to the reluctance motor. The reluctance motor includes a rotor including N rotor salient poles where N is an integer of 2 or more, a stator including M stator salient poles where M is an integer of 3 or more, 3-phase coils to excite the stator salient poles, and a sensor to detect a rotational position of the rotor. The circuit applies 120-degree conduction to the 3-phase coils when the rotor is rotated in a first direction from a stopped state (initial position), and applies 180-degree conduction to the 3-phase coils when the rotor is rotated in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction from the stopped state.

Various embodiments are described herein for methods and systems for controlling a switched reluctance machine (SRM) having an axially extending rotor mounted to a shaft, an axially extending stator disposed coaxially and concentrically with the rotor, the rotor and stator having a plurality of salient poles, the stator poles protruding radially towards the rotor poles, and a plurality of electrical coils wound about the stator poles including a plurality of separate phase coils defining a plurality of phases of the SRM. In one example embodiment, the method comprises providing a control system operatively coupled to a current controller of the SRM, where the control system is configured to generate a unique set of current reference profiles based on an objective function and at least one constraint function and operating the SRM based on the unique set of current profiles generated by the control system.

The motor position detection device according to this embodiment comprises a rotor surrounding the rotation shaft of the motor; a substrate disposed to face the rotor; a Hall sensor disposed on one surface of the substrate to sense the rotation of the rotor; and an MR sensor disposed on the other surface of the substrate to sense the rotation of the rotor.

The motor position detection device according to this embodiment comprises a rotor surrounding the rotation shaft of the motor; a substrate disposed to face the rotor; a Hall sensor disposed on one surface of the substrate to sense the rotation of the rotor; and an MR sensor disposed on the other surface of the substrate to sense the rotation of the rotor.

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.

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.

A multi-phase switched reluctance motor including a rotor and a stator, an electronic commutator subassembly, and a controller. The electronic commutator subassembly includes an electronic motor control unit, a power inverter, and a rotational position sensor, with the power inverter being electrically connected to the stator of the switched reluctance motor. The controller is in communication with the electronic motor control unit, the power inverter, and the rotational position sensor. The controller includes an instruction set that is executable to characterize operation of the switched reluctance motor, dynamically determine inductance of the switched reluctance motor based upon the characterized operation, and execute a closed-loop torque control routine to control the switched reluctance motor based upon the dynamically determined inductance of the switched reluctance motor. The closed-loop torque control routine dynamically determines torque output from the switched reluctance motor based upon the dynamically determined inductance.

A multi-phase switched reluctance motor including a rotor and a stator, an electronic commutator subassembly, and a controller. The electronic commutator subassembly includes an electronic motor control unit, a power inverter, and a rotational position sensor, with the power inverter being electrically connected to the stator of the switched reluctance motor. The controller is in communication with the electronic motor control unit, the power inverter, and the rotational position sensor. The controller includes an instruction set that is executable to characterize operation of the switched reluctance motor, dynamically determine inductance of the switched reluctance motor based upon the characterized operation, and execute a closed-loop torque control routine to control the switched reluctance motor based upon the dynamically determined inductance of the switched reluctance motor. The closed-loop torque control routine dynamically determines torque output from the switched reluctance motor based upon the dynamically determined inductance.