Design and optimization of Permanent Magnet Switch Reluctance Machine for Renewable Energy Application

Presentation of the design of a Permanent Magnet Switch Reluctance (PMSR) Machine for Renewable Energy Application. This is a hybrid machine, which may act both as a motor and generator. The PMSR machine efficiently drives a rotor containing embedded Permanent Magnets (PMs) through customized Electro-Magnets (EMs) attached to the machine stator. The EMs are excited via a controlled current source generating a magnetic field which interacts with the PMs on the rotor. Repulsion and attraction forces are applied via the EMs using appropriate current control. Unlike a standard reluctance motor, this device is able to store some of the Back-Electromotive-Force (Back EMF) within its driving power supply, allowing for reduced heat. We are developing an electro-magnetic simulation model within the ANSYS [1] Maxwell 2D and 3D software, which characterizes the preliminary PMSR machine design. Furthermore, the initial focus is on optimization of the PM material and structure, as well as optimization of the EM structure. The primary goal of the current research effort is lowering the cost of the machine and boosting the overall efficiency.