Design of SRM based Powertrain for e-rickshaw application

Abstract

Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) is gaining popularity in the vehicle industry due to its robust construction. SRM is a popular choice for EV applications due to its magnet-free structure, fault tolerance, and high power/ torque density. The main goal of this work is to create an efficient SRM-based electric power train for a 3-wheeler application. The tractive force and the power requirement of the electric motor for this application are calculated. A geometry-based analytical model of 4-phase 8/6 and 3-phase 6/4 SRM configurations with a power rating of 1kW are developed. The results obtained from the analytical model are compared with the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model of the same power rating. The performance metrics such as power density, torque density, mass, and maximum torque developed are estimated and the results are summarized. The electromagnetic design tool MagNet is used to derive the static and transient characteristics of the SRM configurations, and the findings are reported. Modal analysis is performed to investigate the deformation of SRM configurations corresponding to various natural frequencies using a multi-physics design tool-Ansys.