An Integrated Modular Converter for Switched Reluctance Motor Drives in Range-Extended Electric Vehicles

In this paper, a highly integrated modular converter for switched reluctance machines (SRMs) for range-extended electric vehicle (REEV) is proposed. The converter can be implemented by standard industrial switch modules, and the energy conversion among the SRM, battery, generator, and external ac source can be flexibly achieved with the front-end circuit. In battery driving mode, the capacitor paralleling with the generator is naturally charged and discharged which elevates the phase voltage, so the excitation and demagnetization processes of SRM are accelerated which improves the torque capability. In generator driving mode, the battery is also involved inherently for the fast excitation and demagnetization. The energy stored in the phase windings is automatically recovered back to the battery during demagnetization procedure under all the driving modes, and the battery can be also charged directly by the external ac source. The effectiveness of the proposed converter is verified by simulation.