A novel sliding-mode observer for indirect position sensing of switched reluctance motor drives

A switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive generally requires a rotor position sensor for commutation and current control. However, the use of this position sensor increases both cost and size of the motor drive and causes limitations for industrial applications. In this paper, a novel indirect position sensing technique, namely, the sliding-mode observer, is proposed for SRM drives. The corresponding design approach and operating performance are provided to illustrate the fast convergence and high robustness of the observer against disturbances and variations.