Limitations of inverter topologies for two-phase switched reluctance machines with emphasis on starting and high-speed operation

This paper considers three inverter topologies for driving a two-phase switched reluctance machine. The topologies are evaluated by experiment and through simulation with emphasis placed on operation during start-up and beyond the base speed. The 4-switch inverter supplied by a mains voltage doubler is shown to provide the best performance. The 2-switch inverter requires oversized capacitors, or capacitors with higher voltage ratings, than either the 3- or 4-switch variants. Experiments on a 650 W prototype drive system show that the 3-switch configuration with turn-off angle optimisation can develop 78% of the power output of the 4-switch topology