Performance enhancement of SRM using smart bacterial foraging optimization algorithm based speed and current PID controllers

In modern era, the switched reluctance motors (SRM) are gaining attraction due to its inherent features such as robustness, low cost, simple, rugged structure, excellent fault tolerance and temperature withstanding capability. With these specialized advantages, the accurate and efficient energy analysis is still a challenging one since they operated at variable reluctance and oscillating excitation characteristics resulting in nonlinear characteristics. This paper focused on the energy improvement and performance analysis inclusive of smooth control in speed and minimized torque ripples of SRM by introducing the novel Bio-inspired methodology named Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm (BFOA) for the selection of optimal parameters of the PID speed and current controllers. By minimizing the torque ripples, it increases the average torque which in turn increases the energy conversion. The performance of the SRM is measured in terms of speed, current, power and efficiency and BFOA efficiency has been verified with genetic algorithm (GA) and conventional PID controller using Euler forward approximation method. This paper discusses the modeling, controlling strategy using BFOA, GA and Euler forward approximation method and a comprehensive analysis of energy using optimized selection of controlling parameters. The performance evaluation objectives in this work, is to minimize Integral Square Error of both current and speed controller and also the reduction of torque ripples. The results obtained in this method are also compared with the Genetic Algorithm and Euler forward approximation-based controllers. The proposed algorithm employs individual and social intelligences, which in turn search the responses between the local optima along with global optimums of the problem adaptively. The outmost dynamic response increased average torque and minimized current ripple can be obtained when the parameters of PID controllers are optimized using BFOA.

Automated summary

This paper focuses on energy improvement and performance analysis of Switched Reluctance Motors (SRM) by introducing the novel Bio-inspired methodology named Bacterial Foraging Optimization Algorithm (BFOA) for optimal parameter selection of PID speed and current controllers. The results show that optimizing PID controller parameters can increase average torque and reduce current ripple.