Method and apparatus for reducing iron losses in a switched reluctance machine

摘要

A method of controlling a switched reluctance machine having a rotor and a stator with at least one phase winding to reduce iron loss whereby the phase winding is energized over a first angular period of the rotation of the rotor and then current in the phase winding is allowed to freewheel through the phase winding for a second angular period of rotor rotation where, in a first method, the second angular period is greater than the first angular period. Also a method of using freewheeling in high speed applications to reduce iron loss.