Design, Analysis, and Comparison of a Novel Axial Flux Modular-Double-Stator Hybrid Excitation SRM

This article presents a new axial flux modular-double-stator hybrid excitation switched reluctance motor (AFMHSRM) by applying modular stator and hybrid excitation structures. First, the initial dimensions of three AFMHSRMs with permanent magnet (PM) located at different positions in the stator are presented. The torque and flux linkage characteristics of the AFMHSRM are qualitatively analyzed and compared based on the magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) method. The influence of the PM itself and PMs' position in the stator on the static characteristics of the AFMHSRM is compared by the finite element analysis (FEA) method. Simultaneously, it is analyzed the influence of the PM thickness and the number of rotor poles on the torque of the proposed motor. The AFMHSRM structure with optimal performance is identified as the final topology and optimized for performance. Subsequently, the steady- and transient-state performances of the three AFMHSRMs and the conventional axial flux modular-stator switched reluctance motor (AFMSRM) are compared in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Finally, an AFMHSRM prototype is fabricated based on the optimized dimensions. The simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed structure and the performance enhancement of the hybrid excitation structure for the axial flux switched reluctance motor (AFSRM).