Design of a Research Laboratory Drive System for a Synchronous Reluctance Motor for Vector Control and Performance Analysis

Motor-drive systems have the most significant share in industrial energy consumption, which requires a deep study in every aspect of the field. This paper presents a synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) drive system based on Plecs RT box 1. The system’s design provides the opportunity for the open-loop and closed-loop control of the motor and a characteristic performance analysis of the motor. This paper focuses on the hardware implementation of a research laboratory setup and the precise vector control of the SynRM in real-time. The application of the digital controller and inverter to drive SynRM is examined. The voltage, current, and speed transducers were employed for monitoring the protective measures and to control the motor in the closed-loop. The design of the signal conditioning and the intermediary cards for isolation and data acquisition are described in detail. An algorithm is proposed to measure the whole system parameters, including motor, inverter, and cables. Thanks to the RT box 1, the principle of real-time simulation of control algorithms is investigated, and the rapid control prototyping of field-oriented control (FOC) of SynRM was implemented. The simulation of the system was carried out in the Plecs platform, and the results are presented. The experimental results of the implemented control algorithms validate the setup’s performance and the control algorithm. Finally, as a study of the motor’s performance, the efficiency map of the motor is drawn in different speed and torque ranges.