The concept of a split coil switched reluctance motor (SSWR) drive is introduced. This motor results from the separation of the phase coils of a conventional switched reluctance motor (SWR) into two halves. Excitation requirements for the SSWR motor are met by providing one half of the phase winding with a DC current, the other half being connected to a bipolar drive stage. Experimental results in the form of output power/speed characteristics are presented for the SSWR drive operating with a range of DC current and switching angle settings. A comparison between results obtained with a SSWR drive and SWR drive is given. These results indicate that an overall improvement in performance is achievable for the SSWR drive when compared to an SWR drive. Other features of the SSWR drive aimed at eliminating the position sensor and its capacity for regenerative braking are also discussed in order to highlight the potential of the SSWR drive concept.
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