2023 International Conference on Control, Communication and Computing (ICCC) 19-21 May, 2023
A Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization
based Current Control and Torque Control for 8/6
Switched Reluctance Motor
2023 International Conference on Control, Communication and Computing (ICCC) | 979-8-3503-3412-8/23/$31.00 ©2023 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICCC57789.2023.10164948
Monish M
Department of Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
monishkply@cet.ac.in
Abstract—The high torque ripples developed in the switched
reluctance motor (SRM) limit its usage for high-performance
applications. The methods designed to lower the torque ripple
affects the efficiency of drive system. This paper introduces a
comprehensive analysis of particle swarm optimization (PSO)
based tuning of the hysteresis current controller and direct
instantaneous torque controller for a 4-phase 8/6 SRM. The con-
troller parameters and commutation angles are optimized for re-
duced torque ripple, improved efficiency, and better steady-state
performance. Simulations are run in the MATLAB/SIMULINK
environment and the results support the efficacy of the suggested
method.
Index Terms—hysteresis current control, direct instantaneous
torque control, efficiency, torque ripple, switched reluctance
motor
I. I NTRODUCTION
The SRM is getting popular for its magnet-free characteris-
tics, low manufacturing cost, and simple structure. The rotor
without permanent magnets and windings enable effective
utilization of the machine for high-temperature environments
and high-speed applications. The major issues which pull it
back from considering for various applications are high torque
ripple and acoustic noise created by vibrations.
To prevail over these drawbacks of SRM, many control
strategies were proposed in the literature which includes
current control methods, torque control methods, and vibration
reduction strategies [1]. In [2] hysteresis current control of
SRM is performed for low speed operation to minimize torque
ripple through proper selection of commutation angles. For
direct instantaneous torque control (DITC), accurate torque
estimation is essential, which can only be estimated through
the knowledge of machine magnetic characteristics [3] [4]. In
[5] hybrid excitation of phases is introduced for reducing the
vibration and acoustic noise in SRM
In [6] smooth voltage PWM technique was introduced for
torque ripple minimization and noise reduction but ended with
reduced efficiency. In [7], a fine-tuned current profiling tech-
nique based on torque error was introduced for applications
where low torque ripple is preferred, but the efficiency gets
compromised to achieve low torque ripple. In [8], torque
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Hari Kumar R
Department of Electrical Engineering
College of Engineering Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
harikumar@cet.ac.in
ripple reduction was achieved through an intersection method-
based current controller for SRM with robust tracking, but
the efficiency is not addressed. In [9], control techniques
implemented for the smooth torque requirement lead to a
decrease in drive efficiency. Efficiency improvement can be
made possible through online optimization of firing angles
[10], design of snubber capacitors for converter switches [11],
and limiting supply current during commutation interval [12],
without significant reduction in torque ripple.
The methods for achieving low torque ripple lead to a
decrease in the efficiency of drives and the methods for
achieving high-efficiency result in higher torque ripple. Thus,
for the design of control strategies both torque ripple and
efficiency must be considered. In [13], an optimized DITC
control with an adaptive dynamic commutation strategy was
implemented which can minimize torque ripple along with
efficiency improvement. In [14], a compensated PWM DITC
was developed for the reduction in torque ripple with efficiency
improvement. A non-linear torque-sharing function manipulat-
ing the phase currents during commutation, proposed in [15],
is capable for reducing the torque ripple and improving the
efficiency in SRM. In [16] control method based on optimized
torque sharing function was implemented for the reduction of
torque ripple and copper loss in switched reluctance drive.
For accomplishing an acceptable balance between efficiency
and torque ripple, commutation angles and Proportional-
Integral (PI) controller parameters have to be optimized. In
[17], ON and OFF angles of each phase are optimized using
PSO algorithm for reducing torque ripple in a segmental-type
SRM, but efficiency is not considered. In [18], the minimiza-
tion of speed error to enhance SRM performance through opti-
mal tuning of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller
parameters was presented. In [19], PI controller parameters
are optimized for minimum speed error and the commutation
angles are optimized for minimum torque ripple for a 6/4
SRM using PSO algorithm. An adaptive PSO algorithm with
dynamically adjusted inertial weight for the optimization of PI
controller parameters for better speed regulation of SRM was
introduced in [20]. Another issue faced by SRM is the acoustic
noise created by the radial force which was addressed in [21]
through a two-stage commutation method using PSO algo-
rithm. A study on multi-objective particle swarm optimization
(MOPSO) reveals the possibility of achieving a better torque
profile in SRM along with improved efficiency and better
steady-state performance. Direct instantaneous torque control
of SRM for electric vehicles at low speed was explained in [22]
where optimal commutation angle is obtained through PSO
algorithm considering both torque ripple and efficiency. Both
radial force ripple and torque ripple for bearing-less switched
reluctance motor can be reduced using multi-objective opti-
mization of current waveform using PSO algorithm [23].
Thus, to improve the performance of SRM, commutation
instants and PI controller parameters have to be optimized
for minimum torque ripple, maximum efficiency and better
steady state performance. In this paper, torque ripple, ef-
ficiency, speed error and settling time were considered to
optimize PI controller parameters and commutation angles
for a 4 phase 8/6 SRM. Direct instantaneous torque control
and hysteresis current control of a 4 phase 8/6 SRM for fan
load is performed and compared. Both the controls are carried
out by adjusting the overlapping region between the phases
through proper selection of commutation angles. These angles
along with PI controller parameters are obtained through
particle swarm optimization. The simulation is done through
MATLAB/SIMULINK.
This paper is organized as follows. In Section II, operating
modes of asymmetric bridge converter and the controls for
switched reluctance motor along with optimization algorithm
are briefly explained. In Section III, the performance of SRM
with direct instantaneous torque control and hysteresis current
control are evaluated through simulations and the results are
tabulated and compared. Section IV concludes the paper.
II. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The SRM drive system consists of a 4-phase, 8/6 SRM with
an asymmetric bridge converter and its controller as shown in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 1: SRM Drive system
A 4 phase, 8/6 SRM has a doubly salient structure with
concentrated windings. The windings on the diametrically
opposite poles can be connected to form one of the phase
winding. When stator phase winding of SRM is excited, rotor
moves to a position where the reluctance is minimum. Then
the excitation is shifted to next phase. Thus, the reluctance
torque can be developed by shifting the excitation from one
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phase to another with the help of rotor position sensors which
will result in the continuous rotation of the rotor. By exciting
the phases in the reverse sequence, the direction of rotation can
be changed. The regenerative braking can be made possible
by exciting the phases when its inductance is decreasing.
A. Asymmetric Bridge Converter
The circuit diagram of an asymmetric bridge converter
having two switches and two diodes in each leg is shown
in Fig. 2. Based on the rotor position, switching signals are
provided to the converter switches in the corresponding phases
when its inductance is increasing, to develop a forward torque.
Under low-speed operation, as the back emf is less than the
supply voltage, the rise time of the phase current is more,
and hence current control can be easily implemented. As the
back emf is greater than the supply voltage during high-speed
operation, the rise time of the phase current is less. Hence
angle control mode is preferred.
Fig. 2: Asymmetric bridge converter
Each phase winding is excited separately with three possi-
ble switching states which include magnetization, freewheel-
ing, and demagnetization mode. Magnetization mode happens
when both the switches in series with the phase winding are
triggered and the phase winding receives the dc voltage, which
causes the phase current to rise. The freewheeling mode starts
when one of the switches turns off. The current will flow
through the diode, phase winding, and switch, leading to zero
voltage across the winding. The demagnetization mode starts
when both the switches are off and the current will flow
through the diodes leading to a negative voltage across the
winding. This results in the decrease of phase current and the
diodes will stop conducting when the winding gets completely
demagnetized.
B. Control Strategy
A suitable control strategy has been designed for the
performance improvement of SRM through current control
and torque control with optimized commutation instants and
controller parameters.
1) Hysteresis Current Control (HCC): The speed error
signal processed by the PI controller is compared with the
actual current and sent to the hysteresis current controller for
generating switching signals based on the commutation logic
deduced from the rotor position. For this control, the current
is allowed to vary within a tolerance band. Soft switching of
the converter is performed with the turn-on and turn-off of
the top switch associated with each phase while the bottom
switch is in ON condition. When the corresponding phase
current reaches the upper limit of the hysteresis band, the
top switch turns off and the current starts decreasing. It will
turn on when the current reaches the bottom limit and then
the current increases. Thus, the freewheeling and magnetiza-
tion of each phase happens during hysteresis control at the
variable switching frequency. The selection of the hysteresis
band is limited by the switching frequency. As the hysteresis
band reduces, torque ripple may get further reduced but the
switching frequency increases which will affect the efficiency
of the drive and creates electromagnetic interference. In this
work, the hysteresis band for the analysis of the SRM drive
is selected to be 5% of the actual phase current.

2) Direct Instantaneous Torque Control (DITC): DITC

compares reference torque and instantaneous output torque
and their difference is fed to a torque hysteresis controller
whose output together with the appropriate phase commutation
logic generates switching signals according to the switching
table given in [4]. The hysteresis torque band in this control is
selected to be 5% of motor torque as it has a direct influence on
switching frequency. The reduction in torque ripple is obtained
by controlling the total torque in the DITC scheme. The
commutation instants of each phase excitation are determined
using the knowledge of the rotor position.
After the incoming phase is turned on and the outgoing
phase is turned off, there won’t be a sudden change in the
phase currents, which causes a considerable torque ripple in
the commutation region. The machine performance is greatly
affected by commutation instants and hence it should be
optimized. Thus, an optimization algorithm is necessary to
find the commutation instants for better performance of the
SRM. In this paper, commutation angles and PI controller
parameters for reduced torque ripple, improved efficiency, and
better steady-state performance of a 4phase 8/6 SRM are
determined using PSO.

3) Multi-Objective PSO: In 1995, James Kennedy and
Russell Eberhart developed PSO which is an optimization
algorithm [24]. It requires only basic mathematical operations
and is free from memory requirements which come to be an
effective algorithm for optimizing a wide range of functions.
The flow chart for the PSO algorithm for optimizing PI
controller parameters and commutation angles is shown in
Fig. 3.
It starts with defining the objective function and setting up
upper and lower boundaries for PI controller parameters and
commutation angles of semiconductor devices in each phase of
SRM. After defining particles, the objective function is eval-
uated through time-based simulations. Then the acceleration
and velocity factors are updated to allow particles to move in
the problem space in order to achieve the optimal outcomes
within the solution. The optimization is performed by updating
global best fitness (Gbest) which is the minimum of the
Fig. 3: Flowchart of multi-objective particle swarm optimiza-
tion
local best fitness (Pbest) on every iteration. Finally, Gbest
represents commutation angles and PI controller parameters
which provide reduced torque ripple, improved efficiency, and
better steady-state performance.
The objective function for the performance improvement of
the SRM drive is taken as
F = c1 (1 − e) + c2 tr + c3 w + c4 ts (1)
where c1 , c2 , c3 , and c4 are weighting functions, e, tr , w and
ts are efficiency, torque ripple, steady state speed error, and
settling time respectively which can be defined as
e = Pout /Pin (2)

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 TABLE III: Comparison of HCC and DITC for SRM drive
tr = (Tmax –Tmin )/Te (3) Control Speed θon θof f PI Controller Parameters Efficiency Tripple
Strategy (rpm) (deg) (deg) kp ki (%) (%)
where Pout and Pin are the average output and input power,
HCC l500 34.34 49.34 0.63 10.4 73.26 27.41
Tmax and Tmin are the maximum and minimum values of
steady state instantaneous torque and Te is the average value DITC 1500 33.24 51.65 0.77 20 73.12 7.44

of steady state torque. Based on the application, the user can HCC 750 36.18 51.18 2 20 55 44.55

choose the weighting functions for different objectives in the DITC 750 36.71 53.52 0.73 18.46 53.92 7.46

optimization process. In this paper, weighting functions are

selected as c1 = c2 = 0.4 and c3 = c4 = 0.1.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
To compare the performance of the SRM drive system with
HCC and DITC, a 4 phase 8/6 SRM drive system for a fan
load was simulated and analyzed. The machine parameters are
given in Table I. The commutation angles and PI controller
parameters are optimized for maximum efficiency, minimum
torque ripple, and better steady state performance using PSO.
For a fan load, load torque is proportional to the square of
speed. Hence it is analyzed for a speed of 1500rpm with 4Nm
load torque and 750rpm with 1Nm. .The hysteresis band is
selected to be 5% of the control parameter. Further reduction
in torque ripple is possible by reducing the width of hysteresis
band. However this will result in a high switching frequency.
The initial current overshoot can be reduced by the soft starting (a)
of the motor.
TABLE I: Machine details
Number of Stator Poles 8
Number of Rotor Poles 6
Rated Power 1kW
Rated Speed 3000rpm
Supply Voltage 240V
Winding resistance 0.7Ω
Unaligned Inductance 0.67mH
Aligned Inductance 23.6mH
(b)

TABLE II: Comparison of SRM performance Fig. 4: Phase currents and motor torque at 750 rpm and 1Nm
load torque (a) HCC and (b) DITC
Control Speed θon θof f PI Controller Parameters Efficiency Tripple
Strategy (rpm) (deg) (deg) kp ki (%) (%)

HCC The HCC and DITC of SRM drive for 750 rpm and 1500
with 1500 34.34 49.34 0.63 10.4 73.26 27.41
PSO
rpm were simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK software
after optimizing commutation angles and PI controller param-
HCC 1500 32 47 100 10 70.57 39.92 eters using PSO. The results are listed in Table III. It infers
[25]
that even though there is not much variation in efficiency for
HCC
with 750 36.18 51.18 2 20 55 44.55
both the controls, DITC offers lower torque ripple compared to
PSO HCC. The phase current and developed torque waveforms for
HCC 750 32 47 100 10 51.16 65.11
two different speeds with HCC and DITC are given in Fig. 4
[25] and Fig. 5 respectively. The normalized total torque for both
the speeds with HCC is given in Fig. 6 which emphasizes
Table II shows the comparison of SRM performance with a higher torque ripple for lower speeds in the commutation
optimized HCC and non-optimized HCC [25]. From the re- region.
sults, it is inferred that optimized commutation angle and PI The HCC is performed on SRM drive for various speed
controller parameters gives better efficiency and torque ripple. and the obtained results are listed in Table IV. For each case,

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 commutation angles and controller parameters are optimized
for minimum torque ripple and maximum efficiency. The
variation of efficiency and torque ripple for different speeds of
SRM for fan load are shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 respectively.
From the figure, it can be seen that efficiency decreases and
torque ripple increases as the speed decreases.

(a)

Fig. 7: Efficiency variation with speed

(b)

Fig. 5: Phase currents and motor torque at 1500 rpm and 4Nm
load torque (a) HCC and (b) DITC

Fig. 8: Torque ripple variation with speed

Fig. 6: Normalized Torque IV. CONCLUSION

The performance of optimized HCC and DITC for SRM

TABLE IV: Efficiency and Torque ripple at various operating
drive were analyzed in this work. From the analysis it
speeds
is inferred that, better performance of SRM drive can be
Speed θon θof f PI Controller Parameters Efficiency Tripple achieved by using PSO optimized commutation angles and
(rpm) (deg) (deg) kp ki (%) (%) PI control parameters. The control strategies for a 4phase,
1500 34.34 49.34 0.63 10.4 73.26 27.41
8/6 SRM with asymmetric bridge converter were implemented
in MATLAB/SIMULINK to analyse their effectiveness on
1250 34.99 49.99 1.77 20 68.92 32.13
torque ripple and overall efficiency of the drive. It is seen that
1000 35.51 50.51 2 20 63.05 37.82 DITC provides a better torque profile compared to hysteresis
750 36.18 51.18 2 20 55 44.55 current control. The operation of SRM drive at various speeds
500 34.91 54.91 1.26 20 39.83 64.08 indicates the decline of drive performance at low speeds. A
suitable control technique addressing the issues at low speed
operation of SRM can be considered as a future work which
will enable it to be used for various electric drive applications.

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