Synchronous Reluctance Motor vs. Induction Motor at Low-Power Industrial Applications: Design and Comparison

Although three-phase induction motors are the most common motor type in industry, a growing interest has arisen in emerging electric motor technologies like synchronous reluctance motors and permanent magnet motors. Synchronous reluctance motors are a step forward compared to permanent magnet motors when the cost of the system is considered. The main focus of this study is low-power industrial applications, which generally use three-phase induction motors. In this study, the synchronous reluctance motor family is compared at three different power levels: 2.2 kW, 4 kW, and 5.5 kW. The aim of this study is to design and compare synchronous reluctance motors, which can be alternative to the reference induction motors. Finite element analysis is performed for the reference induction motors initially. Their stators are kept the same and the rotors are redesigned to satisfy output power requirements of the induction motors. Detailed design, analysis, and optimization processes are applied to the synchronous reluctance motors considering efficiency, power density, and manufacturing. The results are evaluated, and the optimized designs are chosen for each power level. They are prototyped and tested to measure their performance.