Hybrid Inverters With Dual Switching Frequencies for Switched Reluctance Motors

This paper proposes a novel inverter topology for driving switched reluctance motors (SRMs), utilizing two conventional three‐phase inverters for a total of 12 switches. To reduce cost, only six of these switches are Silicon Carbide (SiC), while the remaining six are more economical insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). The proposed concept exploits the variable inductance characteristics of SRMs. When the rotor is at a low‐inductance, the drive transfers operation to the SiC switches to enable high‐frequency switching and precise current control. Conversely, during high‐inductance rotor positions, the inverter shifts to IGBT switches, minimizing system cost without compromising performance. The topology and control strategy were validated through multiphysics finite element analysis (FEA) simulations. Key performance metrics, including current waveform, torque, radial force, stator vibration, and acoustic noise were evaluated and compared.