PC CAD for Switched Reluctance Drives

PC-SRD is not limited to the motor design. It also determines the waveforms necessary to rate and select appropriate semiconductor switches (transistors or GTO's being the natural choice in most cases). It provides loass and efficiency data, as well as the means for designing control algorithms for current chopping and switching angles in all parts of the speed/torque range, including generating or braking. The user can vary any design parameter of the motor, power converter, or control, and user-supplied steel magnetization curves may be used.

PC-SRD uses algerbraic approximations to achieve rapid execution. These are constructeeed so as to ensure a standard of accuracy consistent with normal motor design procedures. For very precise design, the program structure permits the introduction of more accurate data, e.g. magnetization curves obtained by measurement of finite-element analysis.

PC-SRD is written in Turbo Pascal and was developed on an AMSTRAD PC1510 costing less than £1000. Ideal for preliminary design and evaluation purposes, it is also capable of producing 'serious' designs. Some examples are in operation at Glasgow University's Power Electronics Laboratory.