Chapters authored
Switched Reluctance Drives with Degraded Mode for Electric Vehicles
There are many types of electrical machines suitable for electric vehicles. Nowadays, most manufacturers and researchers tend towards two major alternatives: permanent magnet synchronous machines and induction machines. However, these are not the only competitive candidates. Reluctance machines, which have been well-known for some decades already, present some interesting advantages. For instance, switched reluctance machines are intrinsically redundant and fault-tolerant, which makes them attractive for applications in which robustness is compulsory. In this sense, switched reluctance drives can keep working even when one of their phases loses its functionality for any reason. In an electric vehicle, this would mean being able to keep driving the vehicle even after some failures, although with reduced performance (in degraded mode). In this chapter, switched reluctance drives for traction applications are analyzed, focusing on their capability to operate in degraded mode (with m-1 phases available).
Part of the book: Modeling and Simulation for Electric Vehicle Applications
Passenger Exposure to Magnetic Fields in Electric Vehicles
In electric vehicles, passengers sit very close to an electric system of significant power, usually for a considerable amount of time. The relatively high currents achieved in these systems and the short distances between the power devices and the passengers mean that the latter could be exposed to relevant magnetic fields. This implies that it becomes necessary to evaluate the electromagnetic environment in the interior of these vehicles before releasing them in the market. Moreover, the hazards of magnetic field exposure must be taken into account when designing electric vehicles and their components. For this purpose, estimation tools based on finite element simulations can prove to be very useful. With appropriate design guidelines, it might be possible to make electric vehicles safe from the electromagnetic radiation point of view.
Part of the book: Modeling and Simulation for Electric Vehicle Applications