Initial Testing & Evaluation of a Low Voltage Inverter for In-Wheel Switched Reluctance Machines for Motorcars

Authors

D. Sigmund, Technische Hochschule Köln

Summary

Subject is a Power Electronics for Switched Reluctance Machines, which can be inwheel retrofitted to conventional passenger cars. The energy storage system of the drive consists of a low-voltage battery with a traction voltage of less than 60 V. The challenge, when energizing the Switched Reluctance Machine with a low DC-link voltage is to inject the discontinuous current into the drive system with a sufficiently steep current rise to the target current level. The introduced topology is based on the already examined Miller C-Dump topology with a central capacitance, which is replaced by exclusive, decentralized capacitors for each of the individual phases and is presented here as a private C-Dump topology. Key point of the study is the initial set up and the operation of the Switched Reluctance Machine (SRM) via the introduced Power Electronics. The operation of an integrated Buck Converter is simulation-based developed and then tested during the operation of the SRM.