1.1 Introduction In the field of a.c. drives, the synchronous-motor based ones are becoming increasingly populai: Starting from servo applications, thepermanent magnet (PM.) excited synchronous motors (Brushless) have been adopted in.a large variety of applications, in both theiridustrial and commercial residential field. In the market of general-purpose (GP) Aries, the induction motor (LM,) still represents a standard, as an off-the-shelf motor. However, the need for bettér performance and the trend towards integral motors are shifting the share towards Synchronous-motor-based drives, ‘Anyway, whatever LM, competitor in G Papplications must full both the conditions to be cheap and suited to sensor less control. In the: following, thesynchronousreluctance (SyR) motor is shown to be aclever candidate to GP, drives. Starting from the state-of- the-art of sensorless control, the suitability of SyR motor to sensorless controlis pointed- Out, in general. The expected motor performance is thenevidenced, with reference to the ‘transverse-laminated type of rotor. ° | Anew perspective willbe ashif of interest from IM.-based drivesto synchronous ™motor- based drives. In fect, once the need for rotor position is overcome, the motors of ‘he synchronous type guarantee a better efficiency and this point is becoming achallenge formany applications. Cine synchronous reluctance motor is similarto a synchronous AC machind andis described in the section on AC motors. ‘The rotor has salient poles but the stator hassmooth, distributed poles whereas both the switched and variable machines have salient poles for both the rotor and the stator. . “The operatingprinciple ofthe basicreluctance motorsis described in the following section, which issimilarto switched reluctance motor Theso called" synchronous" reluctance motors designed to run on mains frequency altemating current and it usesdistribured stator windingssimilar to these used in squirrel cage induction motors. The rotor however needs salient poles to create variable reluctancein the motor’s magnetic circuit which depends on the angular position ofthe roto. These salient poles can be created bymilling nial slots along the length of a squisrel cage rotor. The rotor of Synchronous reluctance motoris shown in Figure 1.1. Ina synchronousreluctance motor havinga rotor havinga plurality of pairs ofan outer side slot formed at an outer periphery side and aninner side slot formed at inner side ofthe rotor The distance between the outer periphery of te rotor and the outerside slot isdetermined to bethe width of the stator magnetic pole portion of the stator ‘multiplied by 07101.3.A first total magnetic flux amount of an Guter side permanentmagnet disposed inthe outer side slotis determined tobe larger than or equal o asecond total magnetic flux amount ofan inner side permanent magnet disposed inthe inner side slot. Figure 1.1: Rotor of synchronous reluctance motor Inareluctance type synchronous motor, arotothas magnetic poles which have « lowmagnelicreluctancein an axial direction of thé magnetcpoles, and have ahighmagnetic reluctance toward acircumiference of therotor. The magnetic poleshave less components orthogonal to axes thereof, so that armature reaction will be reduced, ‘The synchronous reluctance motors not selfstarting without the squiel cage. During run up it behaves as an induction motor but as it approaches synchronous speed, the reluctance torque takes over and the motor locks into synchronous speed.1.2 Operating Principle (Whena piece of magnetic materials free tomoveina magnetic field, it wll align itself with the magnetic field to minimise the reluctance of the magnetic circuit, To put it another way the pieve will orientitselftowards the magnetic pole creating the field. (This also has the effect of maximising the inductance of the field coil). The torque on the rotor ‘created in this way is called the reluctance torque. ~) oe Variable Reluctance motor Figure1.2 ‘When the spaces or notches between the rotor poles are opposite the stator poles themagnetic circuit of the motor has ahigh magnetic reluctance, but when therotar poles arealigned with the stator poles the magnetic circuithasa low magnetic reluctance, When stator pole pairis energised the nearest rotor pole pair will be pulled into alignment with. theenergised stator poles to minimize thereluctance path through the machine. As with brushless permanent magnet motors, rotary motion ismade possible by energising the stator poles sequentially causing the rotorto step to thenext energised pole. A polyphase inverter energises appropriate pole pairs based on shaft position. The xcitation of the stator poles must be timed precisely to correspond with the rotor position sothatit occurs just as the rotor poleis approzching, The reluctance motor thus requires Position feedback to control the moter phase commutation. This feedback control can be Provided by using position sensors such as encoders or Hell Effect sensors to feedback the rotor angle to trigger the commutator at the appropriate point. Sensorless position control is also possible at the experise of more complex clectronics and software, ‘Motor torque and efficiency are optimised by synchronising the controller switching Phase with the rotor position so thatthe torque angle is held at its maximum of90 degrees.