Abstract: In a control system for a reluctance motor driving a load, the output of a reference waveform generator is applied to a power converter through a current controller. The output of the generator is determined by rotor position, as detected by a sensor. The generator establishes a relative magnitude for motor phase current for every position of the rotor during the period of energization of a motor phase. A further control input may determine the absolute magnitude of the motor phase current, subject to the waveform pattern established by the generator. The reference waveforms may be sinusoidal. A method of determining the configuration of suitable reference waveforms for a given motor involves monitoring selected parameters of motor operation while controlling other such parameter in a test procedure.

Abstract: A drive system includes a reluctance motor, driving a load. The motor has stator and rotor poles and magnetizing windings for each stator pole. The airgap is small so that saturation occurs during pole overlap, and the poles are constructed so that there is torque overlap between phases as successive phases are energized during rotor rotation. A sensor provides a rotor position input to a reference waveform generator. The output of the generator is determined by rotor position and is applied to a power converter through a current controller. Accordingly the waveform generator establishes a relative magnitude for motor phase current for every position of the rotor during the period of energization of a motor phase. A further input may be applied to the system to determine the absolute magnitude of the phase current, subject to the waveform pattern established by the generator.