A Deflectable Switched Reluctance Motor/Generator for Wave Energy Conversion and Underwater Propulsion Systems

This paper proposes a deflectable switched reluctance motor/generator, which can be used in wave energy conversion and underwater propulsion systems. When an underwater vehicle stops working, the ocean current drives the turbine blades connected to the motor to rotate, and the rotating turbine blades drive the deflectable generator shaft to generate electricity. The deflectable motor can complete multi-degree-of-freedom motion, so it can receive ocean current energy in multiple directions, thereby improving energy extraction efficiency. When the underwater vehicle starts to work, the deflectable motor can freely adjust the course of the vehicle, so that the vehicle can yaw freely under water. The finite element method is used to analyze the air gap flux density during rotation and deflection. The relationship between the flux, torque and current of a single coil under different rotor positions is obtained, and then the output current and voltage of the deflectable generator are obtained. Finally, a prototype was made for experimental verification.