Gain-scheduling PI current controller for a switched reluctance motor

Switched Reluctance Motor drives are under consideration in various applications requiring high performance applications such as in servomotor drives, electric vehicle propulsion and jet engine starter-generators. Current or torque control constitutes the heart of control in such drive systems to obtain the desired high bandwidth in torque and speed responses. The nonlinear characteristics due to magnetic saturation complicate the issue. This paper presents a design methodology for a digital proportional-integral current regulator : a gain adaptation is used with respect to both position and current to insure better performance and stability. In addition, a back ElectroMotive Force (EMF) compensation is included in order to eliminate its effect on current regulation. A comparative study of the classical PI current controller with the proposed gain scheduling PI current controller incorporating the induced EMF compensation is made.