High performance current control of a switched reluctance machine based on a gain-scheduling PI controller

Switched reluctance motor drives are under consideration in various applications requiring speed variation. This is certainly due to their mechanical robustness and low manufacturing cost. However, the non-linear characteristics of the flux and the torque, and the high acoustic noise complicate significantly the controller design. In order to take into account the phenomenon of magnetic saturation and its dependence on the rotor position and the current, a PI controller with variable gains is proposed. This controller compensates the inductance variation and maintains the dynamics of the closed-loop system constant. Simulations and experimental results of the standard PI controller and the gain-scheduling one are discussed. It shows the advantages of the gain adaptation compared to the fixed gains.