Smart Controls for Switched Reluctance Motor 8/6 Used for Electric Vehicles Underground Mining Security Abdelkrim Rechach 1* , Sihem Ghoudelbourk 2 , Zoubir Aoulmi 3 , Dib Djalel 4 1 Mining Laboratory, Institute of Mines, Larbi Tebessi University, Tebessa 12002, Algeria 2 Mining Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, University Badji Mokhtar, Annaba 23000, Algeria 3 Environment Laboratory, Institute of Mines, Larbi Tebessi University, Tebessa 12002, Algeria 4 Mining Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering, Larbi Tebessi University, Tebessa 12002, Algeria Corresponding Author Email: rechach.abdelkrim@univ-tebessa.dz https://doi.org/10.18280/ejee.230601 ABSTRACT Received: 28 October 2021 Accepted: 2 December 2021 Switched reluctance motors (SRM) are a type of electromagnetic machine that has piqued the interest of manufacturers, as opposed to induction, brushless, or permanent magnet machines. This is because the rotor is simple, robust, and lacks coils, windings, and permanent magnets. It can also operate in a wide range of power in the electric vehicle's drive, even in extreme conditions such as underground mines, ensuring a longer life of service. However, due to the toothed shape of the rotor, the SRM is characterized by vibration and acoustic noise. To solve this problem to better adapt the SRM to the electric vehicle, we propose to use intelligent techniques such as the controller (ANN) and the fractional order controller (PI α ). This article compares two intelligent speed controllers that use direct torque control (DTC) to reduce torque ripples. As a result, when associated with direct torque control, the Fractional Order Controller (PI α ) outperforms the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Keywords: direct torque control, artificial neural network controller, fractional order controller, switched reluctance motor, electrical vehicle, underground mines security 1. INTRODUCTION The mining industry is moving toward lowering its environmental impact, and major players are working to eliminate diesel vehicles that generate significant greenhouse gas emissions and incur high operating costs. There are currently no electric vehicles on the market that meet stringent operational and climate requirements for underground and open pit mines. Given the new demands of the mining industry, the development of electric mining vehicles has become a necessity. The new directions focus on the development of a new electric propulsion system with a rapid charging infrastructure suitable for light and heavy vehicles in the open pit and underground mining industry. It is interesting that the very innovative aspects of the chosen technology solution are designed to be applicable to different types of mining vehicles. The main purpose of this article is to promote the proper use of the remote-controlled electric vehicle entrained by an SRM in underground mines. The choice of this latter depends on the reliability and ability to work in extreme conditions with humidity, heat, dusty dust and harmful atmospheres. Equipped with sensors and suitable cameras, this vehicle is recommended for safe mining. It is very useful for detecting explosive fires, mountain peak observations, landslide detection, and highly toxic flue gases from landslides and groundwater intrusion to avoid flood hazards and to visualize potential fires that could occur hundreds of meters underground. Due to its purity, these SRM-powered vehicles do not pollute the atmosphere unlike fossil fuel vehicles. Our choice focused on the use of the SRM for its many advantages, namely: simple structure of the rotor, robustness, without coils, windings, permanent magnets, brushes, or sparks under the brushes (which will exclude the risk of cause fires or explosions due to the existence of flammable atmospheres in mines such as firedamp), excellent performance in extreme environments, high overload capacity, low manufacturing and maintenance costs, and operation in a wide power range. However, research is hampered by strong vibrations due to peripheral discontinuities of its rotor which are prohibitive to make it the motor of the first choice. SRMs have certain disadvantages which are: torque ripples, vibrations, and acoustic noises. To better use the SRM as a drive for this electric mining safety vehicle, we suggest employing intelligent techniques such as the ANN controller and the fractional order controller PI α to optimize the effect of torque ripples. Both techniques are associated with DTC, which seems very well suited for SRM applications due to the advantage of not having speed and position sensors and only using voltage and current to evaluate and compare magnetic flux, torque and speed. After simulation in the Matlab/Simulink environment, and after comparing the use of two smart controllers, we concluded that the response seems even more improved if we associate the DTC with a fractional order controller, which offers better stability, a speed without overshoot, and better behavior to load disturbances, which increases the machine longevity and robustness compared to those obtained with ANN controller. 2. RELATED WORKS Different techniques have been proposed in the past to European Journal of Electrical Engineering Vol. 23, No. 6, December, 2021, pp. 423-432 Journal homepage: http://iieta.org/journals/ejee 423