Double stator switched reluctance apparatus

A switched reluctance apparatus comprising:

• an inner stator having a plurality of poles;
• a rotor disposed radially outward of the inner stator and having a plurality of segments serving as poles;
• and
• an outer stator disposed radially outward of the rotor and having a plurality of poles,
• wherein the rotor is configured for rotation with respect to the inner and outer stators,
• wherein, between every pair of adjacent poles of either stator, a respective winding is disposed,
• wherein the apparatus is configured to operate as a machine having a plurality of separately excitable phases, each phase corresponding to a respective diametric subset of the windings, and a given phase being excited by energizing the windings corresponding to the given phase,
• wherein each diametric subset of the windings for each phase further comprises a set of diametrically opposed inner stator windings, and a set of diametrically opposed outer stator windings adjacent to the set of diametrically opposed inner stator windings, and
• wherein exciting any given phase induces magnetic fluxes, a substantial amount of flux lines thereof being prevented from entering ones of the segments in a radial direction and a substantial amount of flux lines thereof being caused to enter ones of the segments in a direction normal to the radial direction.