Radial Force Mitigation and Vibration Reduction in a Modified-Rotor Switched Reluctance Motor for Electric Vehicle Applications

Abstract

The Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) has become increasingly favoured in the automotive industry owing to its absence of magnetic components in its design. This article proposes the structural modification of the SRM by integrating windows into the rotor core to diminish radial force and thereby mitigate vibration. The dimensions and placement of holes significantly affect flux linkage and torque generation. Consequently, a general criterion is formulated for the positioning of the window to avert flux saturation in the core. The hole dimensions are optimized using FEA analysis, based on the formulated criteria. This work focused on the design and manufacture of a 1.25 kW, 4-phase, 8/6 geometry-modified radial flux SRM for electric rickshaw applications. The motor specifications are determined from the tractive force. Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) analysis is conducted to determine the natural frequencies for various modes, ensuring that these frequencies do not align with the excitation frequency. Fabricated the conventional and geometry-modified SRM for the comparison of performance parameters. A real-time SRM drive system is developed to assess vibration. The overall vibration of the proposed model is reduced by 3.12 dB in comparison to the conventional SRM.