Reluctance motor system, driving circuit, and reluctance motor

A driving circuit for a reluctance motor, the reluctance motor including a stator and a rotor, the stator including M phase winding sets, M being an integer not smaller than 3, each of the phase winding sets including a first winding and a second winding that are disposed at diametrically opposite positions of the stator, and that are connected in series at a corresponding node, said driving circuit to be powered by a direct current (DC) power source, and comprising:

• M switching members each of which is to be connected in parallel with the DC power source and each of which is to be coupled electrically to a respective one of the phase winding sets, each of said switching members including a first switch to be coupled electrically to a first end of the respective phase winding set, a second switch to be coupled electrically to a second end of said respective phase winding set opposite to the first end thereof, a first flyback diode with a cathode to be coupled electrically to the first end of said respective phase winding set and with an anode to be coupled electrically to a negative terminal of the DC power source, and a second flyback diode with a cathode to be coupled electrically to a positive terminal of the DC power source and with an anode to be coupled electrically to the second end of said respective phase winding set;
• and
• M damping capacitor sets each of which includes a first capacitor to be coupled electrically between the node at which the first and second windings of a respective one of the phase winding sets are connected and the positive terminal of the DC power source, and a second capacitor to be coupled electrically between the node at which the first and second windings of the respective one of the phase winding sets are connected and the negative terminal of the DC power source;
• wherein when said first switch and said second switch of one of said switching members are conducting, a corresponding one of the phase winding sets coupled electrically between said first and second switches of said one of said switching members is configured to form a current loop with the DC power source so as to generate a magnetic field for driving rotation of the rotor;
• and
• wherein when said first switch and said second switch of said one of said switching members are not conducting, an instantaneous counter electromotive force (CEMF) induced at the first winding of the corresponding one of the phase winding sets charges said second capacitor of a respective one of said damping capacitor sets via said first flyback diode of said one of said switching members, and an instantaneous CEMF induced at the second winding of the corresponding one of the phase winding sets charges said first capacitor of the respective one of said damping capacitor sets via said second flyback diode of said one of said switching members.

A reluctance motor comprising:

• a stator including 2×M salient poles and M phase winding sets, M being an integer not smaller than 3, each of said phase winding sets including a first winding and a second winding which are respectively wound around two of said salient poles of said stator that are diametrically opposite to each other, and which are connected in series;
• a rotor surrounded by said stator and including 2×N projecting poles, N being an integer ranging from 2 to M;
• N resonant inductors each of which is wound around two of said projecting poles of said rotor that are diametrically opposite to each other;
• and
• N resonant capacitors each of which is connected in parallel with a respective one of said resonant inductors;
• and
• wherein each of said salient poles of said stator has a distal end that widens toward said rotor and that curves toward a direction away from said rotor to form a concave surface;
• wherein each of said projecting poles of said rotor has a distal end that widens toward said stator and that curves toward said stator to form a convex surface which corresponds in shape to said concave surface.