Motivating Intuitive Understanding of the Switched Reluctance Machine in the Education of Undergraduate Students

Abstract

This paper introduces a switched reluctance machine (SRM) optimized for classroom teaching. The primary goal of this project is to gain students’ understanding of the interaction between the mechanical, electrical, magnetic, thermal and control domain. All these contents are touched independently in the classical curricula. The domain interactions that are present in practice are often not sufficiently comprehensible for the students. This project visualizes these interactions in a handy design.The SRM fits perfectly for this purpose: A periodic minimisation of the magnetic resistance generates torque. The required current waveforms are realised by MOSFET-based asymmetric half-bridges operated in an analogue bang-bang current control loop. A 3D-printed gray-code encoder lucidly ensures a current injection to each pair of windings. Finally, current measurements and thermal images of the prototype are included.