The partial average power as a fault diagnostic parameter applied to SRM drives

A new fault diagnostic parameter, applied to switched reluctance motor drives, is presented. The proposed parameter is a partial average power based on the power converter supply current and the rotor mechanical position information. At high speed operating conditions phase current is not regulated and the machine closed-loop control only needs to observe one current, which is the power converter supply current, in order to avoid excessive current amplitudes. The adopted control strategy is clearly explained. Several simulation results are presented and discussed considering different operating conditions. The normal operation, a fault occurrence in a power switch and a sudden mechanical load decrease are analysed. The simulation results permit to validate the proposed partial average power as an appropriate parameter for the diagnosis of an open-circuit fault in a power switch.