FEA-based Geometrical Modification of Switched Reluctance Motor for Radial Force Reduction

Switched reluctance motors (SRMs) are becoming increasingly popular in the automotive sector owing to their robust design. Moreover, SRMs are preferred particularly for EV applications owing to their fault tolerance, magnet-free structure, and high power/torque density. The main concerns of SRM compared to other machines include torque ripple and vibration. The primary cause of vibration is the radial force created by the SRM. A geometry-based modification of the SRM to reduce the radial force without significantly changing the average torque produced is proposed. The primary goal is to design a 4-phase, 8/6 SRM with a lower radial force. Two possible geometrical alterations are proposed: one with square windows and the other with circular holes on the rotor core. The windows are sized and positioned to avoid flux saturation. General criteria are developed for the optimal window size and placement. Finite element analysis (FEA) modelling of the SRM is used to validate its performance. The FEA results are compared with the performance parameters obtained using the analytical method. Utilizes the multiphysics design tool ANSYS to obtain the natural frequencies and associated deformations through modal analysis. Compared to the conventional geometry, the radial force is significantly reduced by providing windows.