An extended equivalent model for a switched reluctance machine

An extended equivalent model (EEM) is introduced for designing and analyzing steady state regime or transient dynamics of a Switched Reluctance Machine (SRM) and validated by a Finite Element Model (FEM). The EEM includes magnetic, electrical and mechanical behavior of the machine incorporating the invertor and can be extended with a thermal and/or mechanical stress analysis. The method is more time efficient than FEMs without serious loss of accuracy. This makes it suitable for investigating long dynamic behavior eg. startup of a micro-turbine/generator couple or for parameterizing during the design stage of the machine. EEMs are not restricted to SRMs but can be used for any electrical machine. The EEM described in this paper is developed in the context of an autonomous high-speed power generation project. The core unit of the power generation module consists of a SRM/micro-turbine pair. The SRM will be used to start the turbine as well as to generate electrical power once the turbine is self-sustainable.