Spatial distribution of acoustic noise caused by radial vibration in switched reluctance motors: application to design and control

This paper proposes a magneto-acoustic approach for the calculation of the acoustic field caused by radial vibration of the stator, which is known to be the main source of noise in the switched reluctance motor (SRM). In the first step, using a 2-D finite element (FE) method along with a dynamic model of the SRM drive, radial forces acting on the stator poles are calculated. Furthermore, stator deformation due to radial forces is computed using a time stepping FE analysis. This structural information is then fed into another FE based fluid-simulator, which predicts the acoustic field at any point in the surrounding space. Furthermore, the impact of current profile on the emitted noise has been analyzed. The results of this study have been used to develop a design and control guideline for development of low noise SRM drives. Finally, an 8/6, 300 W experimental SRM drive has been targeted in this study. The accuracy of the results has been confirmed by measuring the noise at a very close distance from the machine