An electric motor may comprise a rotor and a stator comprising rotor and stator teeth, respectively. A non-uniform angular spacing or grouping of rotor teeth may facilitate desired rotational speeds of the rotor.

An example converter for a switched reluctance (SR) generator includes one or more gate driver circuits that are not only used to synchronously control switches, such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) of the converter, but also used to provide priming function during start-up of the generator. Since, an SR generator does not have to ability to self provide magnetic flux, priming current is provided to coils of the SR generator to initiate a magnetic flux. By using the gate drive circuit to provide the priming current, an additional priming circuit is not required. As a result, the converter design is more streamlined, with reduced complexity, cost, and size. When a bus voltage of the converter is below a threshold level, the one or more gate drive circuits can provide the priming current on the bus to initiate the SR generator.

A method for starting a motor having a stator and a rotor is provided. The method includes starting a motor with field coils of the stator being in Y connection, switching the connection of the field coils to Δ connection when the speed of the rotor does not fall within a predetermined range from a rated speed within a predetermined time (t2), and switching the connection of the field coils to the Y connection when the speed of the rotor falls within the predetermined range from the rated speed.

A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.

A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.

A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.

A method of starting-up a switched reluctance, SR, motor is provided. The method comprises simultaneously energizing a plurality of phases at a first time point with respective phase voltages that are substantially the same, until the motor rotor is stabilized in alignment with either one of the plurality of phases; simultaneously de-energizing the plurality of phases at a second time point that follows the first time point; monitoring a decrease of respective phase currents in the plurality of phases from a third time point that follows the second time point by a first predetermined time interval; determining a phase of alignment of the rotor using evaluation of the decrease of the phase currents following simultaneous de-energizing of the plurality of phases; and, initiating rotation of the rotor from the determined phase of alignment of the rotor.

A method of controlling a switched reluctance motor is disclosed herein. The motor composes 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.

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.

A method for controlling switched reluctance machine (SRM) utilizing a SRM control system. The method allows for adaptive pulse positioning over a wide range of speeds and loads. An initial rotor position is provided for the SRM utilizing an initialization mechanism. A pinned point on a phase current waveform is defined during an initial current rise phase of the current waveform. A slope of the current rise is determined as the current waveform reaches the pinned point. The slope is then fed to the commutation module of the SRM control system. An error signal from calculated inductance or current slope is used as an input to a control loop in the SRM control system. The time determining module determines an optimum time signal to fire a next pulse. The optimum time signal is fed to the SRM for turning the plurality of SRM switches to on and off states.