Design of a Medium Voltage Switched Reluctance Motor for a Condensate Extraction Pump Application

The Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) has emerged as a promising candidate for various applications, including electric vehicles (EVs), industrial motors, and pumps. Its appeal lies in its robustness, potentially low production costs with lower manufacturing complexity, absence of permanent magnets, excellent power-speed characteristics, and high reliability. This paper delves into the design and dynamic analysis of an SRM for a high-torque, medium-voltage (MV) pump application in an industrial setting. The SRM is designed to match the output power (0.5 MW) and voltage (6 kV) of an induction motor (IM) while adhering to the same dimensional constraints. Crucial performance indices, such as torque ripple and density, have been analyzed to evaluate the motor’s suitability for an industrial application. The proposed SRM is for a high-capacity Condensate Extraction Pump (CEP) application commonly used in industrial steam generation systems. The proposed SRM design consists of a 12/8 pole configuration. The design and performance constraints are based on an industrial MV IM used for a CEP in a thermal power plant. As part of the proposed design process, static characterization of the SRM is performed utilizing Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in JMAG software. Dynamic performance analysis is conducted using a MATLAB/Simulink model. Key performance indices of the proposed SRM design were analyzed at all operating points, including torque ripple, efficiency, and temperature distribution. Dynamic performance verification and thermal, efficiency analysis are conducted using Motor-CAD software.