Adaptive TSK fuzzy sliding mode control design for switched reluctance motor DTC drive systems with torque sensorless strategy.

•To prevent and reduce the chattering phenomenon that occurs in SMC, AFSC is developed by integrating an SMC and adaptive TSK fuzzy controller (AFC). The proposed AFSC can effectively control the speed dynamic responses of a switched reluctance motor (SRM) direct torque control (DTC) drive system without a torque sensor and has outstanding performance.•The TSK fuzzy controller can tune coefficients in consequence parts based on the adaptive coefficient update laws, then can eliminate the chattering phenomenon of the SMC.•The proposed controller is mainly operated by using a sliding mode, and the adaptive TSK fuzzy system is employed to enhance the learning ability of the controller and the robustness against parameter variations and external disturbances.•The AFC developed for this study has real-time learning abilities that can be used for adjusting the coefficients of the TSK fuzzy consequence.•Lyapunov theory is used for deriving the stability condition of the SMC and the adaptive update law of the AFC.