SIMPOZIONUL DE MAŞINI ELECTRICE SME’09 - Octombrie 2009 RESEARCHES IN THE FIELD OF VARIABLE RELUCTANCE ELECTRICAL MACHINES IN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CLUJ

The variable reluctance electrical machines had an essential role in the changes in electric machine technology during the last 30 years, when digital and power electronics and computerized design methods suddenly started to expand. As new boundaries are set up in both power electronic devices and digital control, the researchers reacted with new inventions and adaptations of electrical machines, generally along the classical lines. But also new machine (in many cases variable reluctance) structures were invented during this period. In all the cases the development of novel control strategies has been the motivating force. The variable reluctance machines are rather simple, but require control system and in many cases also speed or position sensors. As electronics progresses still further, the opportunities for successful application of variable reluctance machines will still increase [1]. Researchers from Electrical machines Department, Technical University Cluj, Romania, were involved during the last 20 years in several developments in this field. A part of their research works and results are presented in this paper. The author should like to highlight that it was impossible to mention all the results in this field and the selection of those presented in the paper maybe it was subjective.