Experimental investigation of modified in-wheel switched reluctance motor with reduced torque ripple for electric vehicles

This research work is aimed at the modification of in-wheel switched reluctance motor (Outer rotor-type SRM) with minimized torque ripple for electric vehicles. The geometry of stator and rotor poles affects the torque. Variation in the stator and rotor pole geometry causes change in the torque profile. To reduce the torque ripple and to increase the average torque, modification in the stator and rotor pole shoes is presented in this article. The stator and rotor pole shoes with notches and projections are proposed with the objective of minimization of torque ripple and maximization of average torque. Electromagnetic analysis of conventional and modified in-wheel SRM is done with computer-aided design software MagNet 7.1.1. From the finite element analysis results, the average torque and torque ripple values are derived. Prototype of 8/6, 1000 W in-wheel SRM with the notches and projections is fabricated. Experimentation is performed on the fabricated machine to measure the magnetic flux linkage, current and speed characteristics of the proposed in-wheel SRM. The precise determination of magnetic flux characteristics is significant to check the machine design and to accurately predict the action of modified in-wheel SRM. Static modeling results of the fabricated machine were coherent with the experimental values.