On the Magnetic Behavior and Steady-state

Performance Estimation of a Bipolar

Excited Switched Reluctance Machine
Wei Jiang, Babak Fahimi
University of Texas at Arlington
416 S. Yates Street
Arlington, TX 76019
USA
fahimi@uta.edu
through electrical design presents to be a very promising and
flexible approach. Based on this perspective, this paper will
investigate the electromagnetic behavior and steady-state
performance of SRM under bipolar excitation on a
microscopic level. The rules behind the Short Flux Path (SFP)
mode, mechanism of force generation and accurate prediction
of machine static performance will be illustrated and validated
with both electromagnetic theory and FEA simulation.

Abstract - Switched Reluctance Machine (SRM) is gaining

more attention in automotive industry by the virtue of its
robust structure, high speed performance and fault
tolerant nature. Bipolar excitation of SRM maintains short
flux paths and achieves higher torque density and lower
iron loss. This novel excitation scheme makes SRM more
attractive to the vehicular applications which demand
higher instantaneous torque and efficiency. The present
paper provides a detailed and thorough investigation into
a bipolar excited SRM in terms of its magnetic behavior
and estimation of its steady-state performance. Using a
microscopic level of analysis in electromagnetic response of
the SRM, this paper will give a clear and insightful
explanation on how bipolar excitation would affect the
magnetic field and force generation in a conventional 8/6
SRM. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is adopted as the tool
to investigate and validate the findings.

II. FORCE CALCULATION IN BIPOLAR SRM

According to the electromechanical energy conversion

theory, the electromagnetic torque generated in the SRM with
two phase that are simultaneously excited can be expressed by,
2 a
a WC
T

Ao2 (0, i2 , O)di2 +

1. INTRODUCTION

wherethe fluxlinkage

The electromagnetic torque of a Switched Reluctance

Machine (SRM) is developed by the tendency of stator and
rotor poles to reach alignment. The duality between electric
circuit and magnetic circuit indicates that the magnetic flux
tend to distribute within the path of lowest reluctance. In
single-phase operation of an 8/6 switched reluctance machine,
the flux path flows through the stator pole, airgap, rotor pole,
rotor back iron, stator yoke and back to the stator pole where
the Magneto Motive Force (MMF) is applied. According to
the electromagnetic theory, most of the energy stored in the
airgap is converted to mechanical form in an effective way;
however, the distribution pattern of flux renders considerable
level of iron loss in this single-phase excited machine. The
idea of bipolar excitation introduced in [2] utilized both the
electromagnetic circuit characteristics and force generation
mechanism to create two short magnetic flux path in SRM to
boost the performance of a conventional 8/6 SRM by means of
electrical excitation. The performance enhancement of SRM

1 -4244-0743-5/07/$20.OO 2007 IEEE

Ai

a 1iI
0o

()1,2
(l

0)di

canbe expressedby:

Z/IO(2)

AN2i.

(2
i
In which "i" is the number of flux path. Here linearized flux
linkage expression is used to approximate the total
force/torque. This global energy method could give fairly
accurate value for the torque, however, when field
components and local force density is of special interest,
global energy method could not reveal any of information.
Field based force calculation methods adopt the same idea
of force generation mechanism as the global energy method
and present the stress tensor with local electromagnetic field
quantities. Maxwell Stress Tensor (MST) method is one of the
simple and effective methods to calculate local force densities.
In a 2D electromagnetic field, considering the continuity
theorem, the tangential and normal stress tensor on the surface
of an object is given as:

1338

f
f=

Bn

pulsation and thermal imbalance in different sections of stator

_H23

yoke and rotor back

iron.

2puo

2
Bn is the normal magnetic flux density while H, represents
the tangential magnetic field intensity. By proper finite
element modeling [3] [4], detailed local stresses can be
calculated accurately using MST method and the steady-state
performance of the SRM under bipolar excitation can be

precisely predicted.

<E

III. MAGNETIC BEHAVIOR OF BIPOLAR

EXCITATED SRM
The coil arrangement of an 8/6 SRM is shown in Fig. 1.
Diametrically opposite coils forming a phase winding have the
same polarity. Under conventional control current is supplied
to the stator winding according to the direction shown in Fig.
1. The magneto motive force drives the flux lines through
stator pole, airgap, rotor pole, rotor back iron and stator yoke
to form a close path. As indicated in Fig.2 (b), most of the
energy stored inside airgap is converted into mechanical form
in an efficient way, however magnetic flux are also distributed
over the whole stator yoke and rotor back iron. This in turn
generates considerable iron losses. The fringing flux on the
leading edge of the rotor pole generates the largest local stress
when the rotor begins to overlap with the stator pole and this
force reduces gradually as rotor moves to the alignment with
stator. Due to the structure of a self-starting SRM, there is a
common angular area where two adjacent rotor poles both
locate in the effective torque region. Therefore, higher torque
can be generated if those two phases are excited
simultaneously. Figure 3. (a) and (c) illustrates the switch
pattern and flux path when phases A and B are excited
simultaneously according to direction of windings that is
shown in Figure.1. Because of the existence of four MMF
sources, each of them will seek for the adjacent stator pole
with different polarity to form a least-reluctance close path,
such as AB' and A'B. The stator yoke has been decoupled into
two parts BCDA' and AD'C'B' and the flux flows through 34
of the stator yoke and 3/4 of rotor back iron. This contributes to
a reduction in torque and an increase in iron losses. This Long
Flux Path (LFP) pattern persists for multiphase excitation of
phase AB, BC and CD until phase AD is excited.
In the coil arrangement diagram, one can notice that given
the current excitation in phases A-D as indicated in Fig. 1, two
MMF sources with different polarity are formed in
neighboring stator poles; the direct result from this
configuration is that a Short Flux Path (SFP) between those
two poles is formed. This is illustrated in Fig. 3 (d). SFP
configuration only uses 1/4 of the stator iron and 1/4 of rotor
back iron, which would reduce the iron losses significantly
comparing with LFP case. Unipolar excitation pattern
introduced in Fig.2 (a) not only generates less torque under
multiphase excitation but also contributes to additional iron
loss. Furthermore, under conventional control LFP and SFP
coexist during one electric cycle, which causes torque

Fig. 1. Coil arrangement

__________3_y___

(a) single phase switching

(b) Flux path, one phase excited
Fig.2. Single phase excitation
r

a) uni-polar switching

b) bipolar switching

(c) Long flux path

(d) Short flux path
Fig. 3. Multi-phase excitation
By selecting a different power electronics topology that
would allow for bipolar excitation, one can easily swap the
current polarity in AB, BC and CD phase operation in order to
achieve SFP as in multi-phase excitation of phase AD. Fig.3
(b) presents a new pattern of current excitation for this
purpose resulting in SPF persists in all of the four multiphase
excitation possibilities. In SRM with odd number of phases
the connection of the stator leads to the unipolar converter can

1339

be swapped such that a SFP is maintained at all times with no

need for a bipolar excitation. The bipolar excitation scheme
has utilized the characteristics of magnetic circuit; it forces
SFP by introducing two adjacent MMF sources with different
polarity hence provide a high torque, thermal balanced and
less-loss way of operation.

The continuity theorem suggests that on the unsaturated

high permeability iron surface (free from any surface current
density), the flux lines enter perpendicular to the iron surface.
Although flux refraction occurs on the air-iron boundary in
Fig. 6, according to Maxwell Stress Tensor, the force density
inside the iron is still negligible comparing to its counterpart
on the iron surface due to the high permeability value of iron.
Also, since air is not the physical carrier of stress/force, the
force can only exist on the leading sides of rotor pole.

IV. STEADY-STATE PERFORMANCE ESTIMATION

OF BIPOLAR SRM
A 2D finite element model of the 8/6 SRM machine is
modeled and simulated with commercial FEA software
MagNet. The area where high flux density happens is
discretized with uniform triangular mesh. The simulation is
carried out at a mechanical speed of 1600rpm and under a
magneto-motive force of 1250AT/phase.
In bipolar excitation, electromagnetic field components andX
force density/stress distribution on each rotor pole is the time
shifted copy of its leading counterpart. Therefore, in order to
validate the force calculation method, one of the rotor poles in
bipolar excitation is chosen to investigate the distribution of
field quantities during energy conversion process.
First of all, three circular contours are placed on different
layers at the middle of the airgap, at the rotor surface, and at
stator surface; the flux density vectors are observed in the
vicinity of stator and rotor poles. The half entry position,
illustrated in Fig. 5, is chosen to investigate the distribution of
field quantities and force components. As shown in Fig.6, the
flux density magnitude on rotor surface layer presents a peak
value at the leading pole tip position (right side of rotor pole),
while on stator surface layer peak flux density value is
observed at the lagging edge (left side) of stator pole. In fact,
the leading rotor pole tip and lagging stator pole tip is the
point where the flux lines enter and leave (see Fig. 5).
According to the definition of magnetic flux density by
Magnetic Vector Potential (MVP), the curl of MVP is flux
density, it is easy to appreciate that when flux lines squeeze
out of the stator pole and seek the least-reluctance path to the
rotor pole, bending occurs in the vicinity of airgap on leading
rotor side; hence the bending tendency of flux lines produces
large value of tangential flux density, which is reflected in the
results of finite element analysis. Similar situation happened
on the stator side. Therefore, the rotor surface layer is used to
calculate the local stress on the rotor.

..

r-_
g 2 3

kwttm

1@

w2.ffivG'www*

,f2

r i I

Fig. 5 Flux line plot at half entry position

(a) Bt on the boundary

(b) Bn on the boundary

(c) ft on the boundary

(d) fn on the boundary
Fig.6 Flux density and stress components on rotor boundary

Next, sweep contour is made around the rotor geometry

surface, the tangential and normal force density components,
i.e. f0 and Jr are calculated by MST method. As we
}@@-Mew2
i
IXt
-1
git.j__tw
expected,
density
MwW-w force
til0 -7,,
,,:, Svector which is in the tangential
f1Bil m@. + 1 I ''-direction of movement exists on the leading edge of rotor pole
shown in Fig. 7. The force density value decreases as the
sweep contour leaves far away from the vicinity of airgap,
$1M4g JF
-g
~~which confirm that of the flux plot shown in Fig. 5. Also due
. XR Wi M=
to saturation of the rotor pole tip, certain amount of stress is
M.w=
AS

Its

Xalso observed within very small rotor top region, as indicated

n Fig. 6 (c) (d). Comparing with the force density calculated
threelayerson the rotor surface layer, those two ways of calculating turns
out to have very similar force density distribution (only with

ggm'Lh
;:wwwfis-X
rHs,

(a)B~ ntreelayrs
Fig.4. luxdesity o

..........

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'

b) ~ n the ayr

1340

angular difference in space) and close peak value, as indicated

in Fig. 7.
The total motion force on one of the rotor pole is calculated
with different methods and contour implementations, the final
results shows that the MST method gives sufficient stress

distribution information and very accurate total force

estimation. With surface contour implementation, MST
method reveals the actual motional force density distribution
on the rotor pole as well as on the stator pole. Considering the
complexity of implementation, a rotor surface arc contour
MST is favored. Using this contour one is able to show the
radial force component distribution on rotor pole surface, and
also, can reflect how the motion force is exerted on the side of
the rotor pole; a detailed justification on the validity of this
method is given in [4].

(a) Force density on three layers

(b) force density on rotor side
Fig. 7. Comparison of force density on rotor surface layer and
rotor side layer
"Atd ariietiMtD-cecacutteatdikteA art .i'mdlne

another excited phase as indicated in Fig. 9 (b), which would

shed light on an opportunity to mitigate the radial vibration in
multiphase excitation.
Moreover, incorporating the discussion in the previous
section, the patterns of flux path distinguish the static
performance between unipolar excited and bipolar excited
machine. In unipolar excitation, when phase A and D are
excited simultaneously, short flux path (SFP) is formed as in
the bipolar excitation. However when phase AB, BC, CD are
excited, long flux path (LFP) exists. The effect of SFP is
reflected in distribution of the field components and the torque
production. In Fig. 10 (a) (b), one can notice that in bipolar
excitation, the MMF sources in adjacent stator poles are in
different polarity while in unipolar excitation the same
polarity; change of direction in tangential and normal flux
density in bipolar excitation is observed. Majority of flux lines
close the short magnetic flux path between adjacent
rotor/stator pole pairs in bipolar case, as visually indicated in
Fig. 3 (d).

(a) Tangential force density

(b) normal force density

etmet-yFig.9. Force density components plot

&=wbd

Dom.=

&wusiiti

mwtdenitbdensit

Same procedur is aple to the1 otheraexcited

6
phaseci tanenia flx__Rtrsrac agnilfu
bipolar excitation, flux ~~dtensity and(force densittplotehowith
simultaneousig.occurenc mofioalforcenercuationon two adjacentyta
tai "..im 16

tki

canme frounduinmultiphasedexcitationhcomparingdtohthesingl

phase excitation because another phase is incorporated in the

torque production. From Fig.9

one can observe that as the

leading rotor pole (right) is approaching the aligned position;

the trailing rotor pole becomes active, fringing flux on the
trailing rotor pole side supplies big portion of the torque.
Torquie generation in trailing rotor pole is the time shifted

q~daR

(c) Rotor surface tangential force

density

(d) Rotor surface normal force

density

Fig. 10. Flux density and force density distribution in unipolar

excitation and bipolar excitation

rotor back iron and stator yoke, larger flux linkage as well as
force densities are expected. Fig. 10 (c) (d) indicates higher
force density peak value in SFP than in LFP. However, the
majority of the system reluctance comes from the airgaps of
the machine; therefore, the increment in torque production will
not be significant.
The total motional force is calculated in single phase
excitation, unipolar excitation, and bipolar excitation
respectively. It is obvious that multiphase excitation gains
more motional force than single phase excitation. And one
needs to notice that the first peak value of torque is the same
in unipolar and bipolar excitation because phase A and D are
both excited, SFP exists in both case. When the rotor moves
three consecutive LFP is formed in unipolar excitation, lower
peak tangential force is observed at same rotor position than in
bipolar excitation in Figure. 11. This confirms the force
density plot in Fig. 10, SFP renders higher system reluctance
value, hence generates 400 more peak torque. Furthermore,
bipolar excitation tends to present a more balanced and torque
enhanced system than unipolar excitation. In unipolar
excitation, the maximum value of torque depends on the
direction of winding(phase A and D are excited
simultaneously), the other three LFP produce lower peak
torque value, shown in Fig. 11, therefore introducing
additional torque pulsation as well as tangential vibration.

V. CONCLUSION

This paper studied the magnetic behavior of bipolar excited

SRM and fundamental rule of achieving a short flux path
pattern. The force generation mechanism in multiphase
excited SRM is investigated, explained and proved. Using
Finite Element Analysis method and novel Maxwell Stress
Tensor implementation, the steady-state performance of the
targeted SRM is precisely estimated. The advantages of using
bipolar excited SRM is proved and elaborated.

REFERENCE
[1] J. R. Melcher, Continuum Electromechanics, MIT Press,
1981.
C. S., Krishnamurthy, M. and Fahimi, B.,
[2]
.
Edrington,
. < < . e t
ce
"Bipolar Switched Reluctance Machines: A Novel
Solution for Automotive Applications," IEEE Trans. on
Vehicular Technology, Vol 54, Issue 3, May. 2005
2gF i i i 10 i jif #
gHAZ Si'm' 1R 1
M.
Moallem and C.M. Ong, "Predicting the torque of a
LW5L :4 t ! & S ^ ''[3] switched
reluctance machine from its finite element field
silution." IEEE Trans. on Energy Conversion, Vol 5, No.4,
___
H.Dec 1990
Bipo ar exitation
[4] W. Jiang, M. Moallem, B, Fahimi, "Qualitative
0.T;mpolar
;.t..............
e
investigation of force density components in
7
8
electromechanical energy conversion process", IEEE
r1 =< 1Single ph-ase
Jxcltehon
1
2
3
6
7
4
5
8
IECON06, 2006
lE`ime irstant (ms)
[5] T.J.E. Miller, Electronics control of switched reluctance
Fig. I 1. Torque output comparison among single phase and
machines. Reed Educational and Professional Publication,
multiphase excitation
2001
zwow A
r
_F , E.[6] W. Jiang, "Analysis of electromagnetic field in a switched
reluctance machine from an energy conversion
perspective", M.S. Thesis, The University of Texas at
1
<4 ~if I i:
/Arlington, 2006
Torque output, I 2A

N.

rotor back iron; in unipolar excitation, flux lines only occupy

3/4 of stator yoke and rotor back iron in three out of four
excitation stages (AB, BC and CD) and 1/4 of stator yoke and
rotor back iron in one excitation stage (AD); in bipolar
excitation, only 1/4 of stator yoke and rotor back iron is used.
Iron loss on rotor back iron is plotted in Fig. 12, one can
observe that in bipolar case, iron losses only concentrate under
the phases which are excited, while in unipolar case, iron loss
is spread over 3/4 of rotor back iron and the loss peak value are
higher than the bipolar case. Also, since SFP persists in
bipolar case, bipolar excitation can achieve a more thermal
balanced and torque enhanced performance.

o*'1iI-FFt4.w3.'F
bF F

glFlf

IF

Mt

(b) Iron loss, bipolar

Fig. 12 Rotor iron loss in multiphase excitation

(a) Iron loss, unipolar

Another important feature of bipolar excitation is the

significant reduction in iron loss. In single phase excitation,
flux lines distribute over the whole stator yoke and whole

1342