SPECIAL ELECTRICAL

MACHINES

EE402
3-0-0
Credits-3

Binesh Mohan, AP in EEE, CETkr 1

 Module-VI

LINEAR MOTORS

Binesh Mohan, AP in EEE, CETkr 2

 CONTENTS

• Linear motors
• Linear reluctance motor
• Linear synchronous motors – construction
– comparison.
• Linear induction motors – Expression for
linear force – equivalent circuit –
applications.

Binesh Mohan, AP in EEE, CETkr 3

 Basics of Linear Motors
• Analogous to Unrolled DC Motor

• Force (F) is generated

when the current (I) I

(along vector L) and the

flux density (B) interact
• F = LI x B
 Benefits of Linear Motors
• High Maximum Speed
– Limited primarily by bus voltage, control electronics
• High Precision
– Accuracy, resolution, repeatability limited by feedback device,
budget
– Zero backlash: No mechanical transmission components.
• Fast Response
– Response rate can be over 100 times that of a mechanical
transmission  faster accelerations, settling time (more
throughput)
• Stiffness
– No mechanical linkage, stiffness depends mostly on gain & current
• Durable
– Modern linear motors have few/no contacting parts  no wear
 Downsides of Linear Motors
• Cost
– Low production volume (relative to demand)
– High price of magnets
– Linear encoders (feedback) are much more expensive than rotary
encoders, cost increases with length
• Higher Bandwidth Drives and Controls
• Lower force per package size
• Heating issues
– Forcer is usually attached to load  I2R losses are directly coupled to
load
• No (minimal) Friction
– No automatic brake
 Linear Reluctance Motor
• Suitable for material handling and
transportation of material in totally
enclosed container
• Less maintenance
• Cheap secondary materials
• commonly transverse flux motors
• Two types: U-shaped and E-shaped
primary core

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 Single phase LRM
with U-shaped primary core

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 Single phase LRM
with E-shaped primary core

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 Single phase LRM
with E-shaped primary core cont…

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 Single phase LRM
with E-shaped primary core cont…

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Operation of LRM with DC supply

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Operation of LRM with AC supply

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 Linear Synchronous Motor

• Linear counterpart of conventional

rotating synchronous motor
• Mechanical motion id synchronism with
magnetic field
• Mechanical speed is same as the
travelling magnetic speed.

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Classification of Linear Synchronous
Motor
Based on speed of operation
1. Transportation LMS (High and medium speed)
a. Heteropolar LSM
b. Homopolar LMS
c. Permanent Magnet LSM
d. Super conductor field LMS
e. Transverse flux LSM
f. Longitudinal flux LSM

2. Low speed LSM

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 LSM WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC
EXCITATION
• Electromagnetic excitation system is
similar to a conventional salient pole
synchronous motor
• There are two types

1. Flat single sided LSM

2. Flat double sided LSM

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LSM WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC EXCITATION

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LSM WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC EXCITATION
(b)Double sided LSM

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 LSM WITH SUPERCONDUCTING
EXCITATION
• Used for large power applications
• Ferromagnetic core replaced by coreless
superconducting magnets
• High flux density
• Fully air cooled motor

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LSM WITH SUPERCONDUCTING
EXCITATION

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 PERMANENT MAGNET LSM
WITH ACTIVE REACTION RAIL
1. Surface permanent magnet
• Yoke of the reaction rail is made up of
ferromagnetic material
• PM are magnetised in perpendicular direction
to the active surface

2. Embedded Permanent magnet

• Yoke is non-ferromagnetic
• This is to reduce bottom leakage flux

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PERMANENT MAGNET LSM WITH ACTIVE REACTION RAIL

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PERMANENT MAGNET LSM Skewing

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PERMANENT MAGNET LSM
Dampers surface type

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PERMANENT MAGNET LSM
Double sided flat type:

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PERMANENT MAGNET LSM
Slotless type:

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TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FLUX LSMs
Single sided

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TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FLUX LSMs
Double sided

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APPLICATIONS OF LSM

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 LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR (LIM)
• It is an alternating current (AC), asynchronous
linear motor that works by the same general
principles as other induction motors
• Typically designed to directly produce motion in
a straight line.
• Characteristically, linear induction motors have a
finite primary or secondary length, which
generates end-effects, whereas a conventional
induction motor is arranged in an endless loop.
• special purpose system that we use to achieve
Linear motion rather than rotational motion as in
the case of conventional motors.
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LIM CONSTRUCTION

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 LIM CONSTRUCTION
• The basic construction of a linear induction motor is
similar to a three phase induction motor but it does not
look alike a conventional induction motor.
• If we cut the stator of a polyphase induction motor and
lay on a flat surface, it forms the primary of the linear
induction motor system.
• Similarly, after cutting the rotor of the induction motor
and making it flat, we get the secondary of the system.
• There is another variant of LIM also being used for
increasing efficiency known as the Double Sided Linear
Induction Motor or DLIM, as shown in the figure below.
• It has primary on either side of the secondary, for more
effective utilization of the flux from both sides.
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LIM CONSTRUCTION

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 LIM WORKING
• When the primary of a LIM gets excited by a
balanced three-phase power supply, a flux starts
traveling along the entire length of the primary.
• This linearly traveling magnetic field is equivalent
to the rotating magnetic field in the stator of a three
phase induction motor or a synchronous motor.
• Electric current gets induced in the conductors of
the secondary due to the relative motion between
the traveling flux and the conductors.
• Then the induced current interacts with the
traveling flux wave to produce linear force or thrust.
• If the primary is fixed and the secondary is free to
move, the force will pull the secondary in the
direction of the force and will result in the required
rectilinear motion.
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 LIM WORKING
• When we give supply to the system the developed
field will result in a linear traveling field, the velocity
of which is given by the equation

• where fs is the supply frequency in Hz, Vs is the

velocity of the linear traveling field in meter per
second, and t is the linear pole pitch i.e. pole to
pole linear distance in meter.
• For the same reason as in the case of an induction
motor, the secondary or runner cannot catch the
speed of the magnetic field. Hence there will be a
slip. For a slip of s, the speed of the linear induction
motor will be
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 CLASSIFICATION OF LIM
(TYPES BASED ON CONSTRUCTION)
1. Axial field LIM
a. Flat LIM
i. Short primary
ii. Short secondary
iii. Coreless secondary
iv. Double primary side

b. Tubular LIM

2. Transverse flux LIM

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AXIAL FIELD LIM

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AXIAL FIELD LIM

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AXIAL FIELD LIM( FLAT LIM)

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AXIAL FIELD LIM( FLAT LIM)

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AXIAL FIELD LIM (TUBULAR )

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TRANSVERSE FLUX LIM (TLIM)

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TRANSVERSE FLUX LIM (TLIM)

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EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF LIM

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EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF LIM

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EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT OF LIM

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Transverse Edge and End effects

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Transverse Edge effect:
• The portion of the current (in secondary) which has path
to the direction of motion makes no contribution
towards the production of thrust.
• This effect results in reduction of effective thrust and
increase in losses.
End effect:
• For short primary LIM, the current path towards the end
of field structure on the secondary go beyond field
structure of the primary and hence do not contribute to
useful thrust. This effect is called end effect.
• It increases looses
• It can be reduced by increasing the number of poles.

Binesh Mohan, AP in EEE, CETkr 48

 THRUST EQUATION
• Equation of linear Force

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