Electromagnetic Performance Evaluation of 12/8 and 10/8 Switched Reluctance Motors Considering Magnetic Material Effects Using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

Switched Reluctance Motors (SRMs) have found their place as a viable option in modern electric drive systems due to their simpler construction, fault tolerance, and absence of permanent magnets. In this study, a detailed electromagnetic performance analysis and evaluation of 12/8 SRM and 10/8 SRM configurations using two different types of magnetic materials, Steel_1008 and Steel_1010, have been carried out using ANSYS Maxwell software, which is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) theory, to determine various performance parameters such as magnetic flux density, torque characteristics, flux linkages, efficiency, and losses under similar operating conditions. From the obtained results, it is observed that the 12/8 SRM configuration shows better performance in terms of the distribution of the magnetic flux density, which reaches a maximum of 2.24 T, as well as the capability of the SRM in terms of torque production with increased interaction between the stator and rotor, while the 10/8 configuration shows better performance in terms of efficiency, reaching a maximum of 82.97%, as well as the capability of the SRM in terms of high-speed performance with reduced copper losses and magnetic drag. In addition, the influence of the properties of the used magnetic material on the performance of the SRM is critically discussed, showing that the use of Steel_1010 increases the performance of the SRM due to the improved permeability characteristics of the material.