Performance Analysis of a Self-Excited Synchronous Reluctance Generator with an Optimized Slitted-Rotor Core

This paper analyzes the performance of a self-excited synchronous reluctance generator. The rotor of the proposed synchronous reluctance generator (NSynRM) has a slitted rotor core to improve selected vital performance parameters. The slitted-rotor core design has been optimized for optimal performance using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) technique for minimal torque ripple and maximum average torque. The electromagnetic performance of the proposed synchronous reluctance generator with an unoptimized and optimized slitted-rotor core has been analyzed using a two-dimensional (2D) Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for AC magnetic transient solutions. The FEA results evidenced that after optimization, the torque ripples of the NSynRG with slitted rotor-core are reduced by 24.51%, 29.72%, and 13.13% when supplying 8A to unity, lagging and leading power factors loads, respectively. Furthermore, both FEA and Experimental (EXP) results reveal that the voltage regulation increases when the NSynRG supplies power to leading and unity power factor loads and decreases when feeding lagging power factor loads.