Control of a 6/4 switched reluctance motor in a variable speed pumping application

An original variable-speed pumping system was developed through integrating a power converter, switched reluctance motor (SRM), centrifugal pump, and speed control strategy. A customized power converter and speed control strategy were selected, designed, and implemented to regulate the speed of the SRM-pump system. The control strategy to regulate the speed of the SRM consisted of a digital controller made with PI and phase-lead compensators in series and, simultaneously, adjusting the advanced firing angle as a function of the desired motor speed. It was experimentally demonstrated that the inverter-SRM-pump system is a good option to drive a centrifugal pump with a relatively high efficiency at all speeds.