A Comparative Study of Torque Estimation Algorithms for Switched Reluctance Motors

Switched reluctance machines are gaining importance due to their low cost, simple construction, and non-use of rare earth magnets. However, for the development of advanced torque controllers, accurate torque estimation is crucial, especially under varying load conditions. There are different torque estimation methods, which fall into different well-established classes, however, the characterization of their performance and operating conditions are not well known. This paper provides a comparative study of the most significant estimation algorithms: average torque, analytical and area approximation estimators. To assess the performance of these algorithms, a set of numerical simulations is presented and their results are compared based on signal similarity criteria. Results show a better performance when using the area approximation algorithm in comparison with the other two.