Search Results

Electro-mechanical brakes (EMBs) are emerging as a new approach to enhance brake system features as well as braking performance. This paper takes a fresh look at the switched reluctance (SR) drive as a possible prime mover technology for EMB applications. The switched reluctance motor has attractive potential, in view of its robustness, dynamic bandwidth and fault tolerance. An overall assessment of the approach is made based on bench performance of a prototype EMB caliper with an SR drive executing typical braking patterns. It is shown that the SR motor can provide the required overall brake actuator performance. Various implementation options are examined to lower cost, with particular focus on electronic design, control algorithms and motor position sensing.

The switched reluctance motor is a strong candidate for electric/hybrid vehicle applications primarily because of its high power density, good efficiency and high-speed capability. The motor drive for an EV is desired to have a wide speed range capability to eliminate the gears. A 4:1 speed range of the motor in the constant power region results in good performance of the system. The paper will report the design of an electric vehicle system using a switched reluctance motor drive. A system level simulation tool for electric vehicles using the Matlab-Simulink platform will also be presented. The paper will discuss the analytical and simulation models for each of the key system components of an EV, which are the motor, controller, battery and the drivetrain.