This paper introduces the technique of adjusting the poles of the rotors to boost the performance of the Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM). Finite element analysis (FEA) of two models of 12/8 SRM was presented to determine the static and dynamic characteristics. The performance characteristics obtained were given in a comparative form. It was observed that the new model attained maximum efficiency of 91.7% at a speed of 1648.62 rpm, while the reference model recorded an efficiency of 87.3% at the same speed. The charts of efficiency and total loss of both models were presented. The model with modified rotor pole has higher efficiency and lower total loss when compared with the reference model. In order to compare the dynamic behaviors of the two models during operation, the motors were monitored for a period of 20 ms. Both the current and torque characteristics of the new model recorded an improvement of 53.2% and 46.8% respectively. From the results, the preference to use the motor with modified rotor pole has been highlighted. This demonstrates that the approach adopted in this study can be applied at any SRM rating. Also, there is no additional fabrication complexity associated with the proposed model.
Key words: SRM, Pole geometry, FEA, Efficiency, Torque Characteristics
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