Design, simulation and experimental results for a novel type of two-layer 6/4 three-phase switched reluctance motor/generator

Highlights: • A novel two-layer 6/4 three-phase switched reluctance motor/generator is proposed. • It has two magnetically independent stator/rotor sets with field coil between them. • It works in both motoring and generating modes, which leads to hybrid operation. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel two-layer 6/4 three-phase Switched Reluctance Motor/Generator (SRM/G) is designed, simulated, fabricated and tested in the laboratory to produce electrical energy using natural, renewable and variable speed energy resource. The proposed two-layer SRM/G (TLSRM/G) consists of two magnetically independent stator and rotor sets. Each stator layer includes six salient poles with windings wrapped around them. The rotor comprises of four salient poles with different arc lengths and no windings. There is a stationary reel, which has the field coil wrapped around it and is placed between the two-stator sets. The most important point of the presented TLSRM/G is its ability to work in both motoring and generating modes, which leads to hybrid operation. To evaluate the proposed configuration, the design methodology is introduced firstly. After that the TLSRM/G operation is modeled and simulated in generating mode by three-dimensional Finite Element Method (3D-FEM) to assess the main characteristics of the generator as flux density distribution, flux-linkage profile, and generated voltage. Finally, a prototype is built and tested in the laboratory and its operational outcomes are presented. Via experimental and numerical analyses, it is substantiated that this interesting configuration can help users to produce electrical energy from low speeds to high speeds of performance through employing this generator in special case of study and application