A new disc type switched reluctance motor (DSRM) structure for high torque density is presented. The new motor has a double sided stator structure that provides higher torque and less acoustic noise than classical switched reluctance motors (SRMs) of small sizes. The motor is based on linear switched reluctance motors. The results of the analytical and numerical analysis are given to evaluate the effectiveness of the motor structure, and experimental noise measurement data are presented. In the numerical analysis, due to the highly nonlinear nature of the motor, finite element analysis is employed. A prototype 6/4 DSRM and a classical SRM are built and tested for experimental studies. The obtained test and simulation results show that the DSRM has a higher torque and less acoustic noise performance. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.