Evaluation of the failure modes in a reduced parts converter for switched reluctance drives

Reduced part bipolar converters (RPBC) for switched reluctance machines (SRM) allow for bipolar current paths to exist at a minimal part count. The purpose of removing the natural asymmetrical magnetic patterns (common in conventional converter topologies) is identical to other bipolar converters, but the RPBC has a slightly different functionality, less robustness, and a part reduction stipulation. Emphasis on fault tolerance will further identify where this RPBC stands in comparison to conventional converters. This work succeeds previous efforts that analyze the RPBC in comparison to an asymmetric bridge bipolar converter (ABBC), particularly concerning a 4 phase 8/6 SRM. Thus the new focus is to analyze specific fault scenarios in the diodes and switches of the RPBC, reporting on the operability, cause and effect, and the performance of each faulted state under continued operation.