A Novel Two Phase Hybrid Switched Reluctance Motor/Field-Assisted Generator: Concept, Simulation, and Experimental Confirmation

The switched reluctance motor is a simple and robust machine, which has found application over a wide power and speed ranges in different shapes and geometries. This paper introduces a new configuration for a two phase unidirectional switched reluctance motor/field assisted generator. The proposed novel motor/generator consists of two magnetically independent stator and rotor sets (layers), where each stator set includes four salient poles with windings wrapped around them, while the rotor comprises of two salient poles with different arc lengths and no windings. There is a stationary reel, which has the field coils wrapped around it and is placed between the two-stator sets. In the motor mode of operation the two sets are connected independently. In this connection the stator poles in each layer can have both North and South Pole configurations. In the generator mode, the stator poles in one set can have either north or South Pole configuration while the stator poles in the other set (layer) have the opposite pole arrangements. In this format, the developed magnetic field from the stator poles travels to the rotor then to the rotor shaft and finally completes its path via the motor/generator housing. To evaluate the motor performance, two types of analysis, namely, the numerical technique and the experimental study have been utilized. In the numerical analysis, the finite element analysis is employed, where as in the experimental study, a proto-type motor has been built and tested.