Dr.

Ahmed Kalas 1

SPECIAL OF
ELECTRICAL MACHINES
LINEAR ELECTRICAL MACHINES

4th year Electrical Department

 Dr. Ahmed Kalas 2

LINEAR ELECTRICAL
MACHINES
Chapter (6)
 INTRODUCTION
3

 The linear motor was invented by [1970] Professor

Eric Laithwaite, the British electrical engineer
who died on 6th December 1997, aged 76. It
projected a shuttle across a weaving loom using a
linear motor. Professor Laithwaite had been
fascinated with the weaving process ever since his
boyhood spent in Lancashire, the UK’s home of
textile manufacture.

Dr. Ahmed Kalas

 INTRODUCTION
4

 Linear Motors are old motors which date from the

1970’s.
 Were not intensively used because of their difficult

control and low performance.

 Advancements in Power Electronics and

Microprocessors have overcome the control

difficulties and have revived the use of the linear
motors.
 Linear motors are nowadays emerging as new

technology
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Main Types of Linear Motors
(according to electrical machines)
5

 Linear Induction Motor

Single-Sided:
Long-primary & Short Secondary
Short-primary & Long-Secondary
Double-Sided or Sandwich
 Linear Synchronous Motor
Permanent Magnet
Wound Secondary Type
 Linear Stepper Motor
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Main Types of Linear Motors
(The configuration)
6

 A linear motor can be Flat, U-channel, or Tubular in

shape. The configuration that is most appropriate for
a particular application depends on the specifications
and operating environment

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 LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR (LIM)
7

 Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) are significantly different than

Linear Synchronous Motors (LSMs) in the way that they
produce electro-motive forces or motion.
 In a LIM, the motor stator creates an Alternating Current (AC)
field that induces currents into the reaction plate, which is
typically an aluminum fin. This creates eddy currents in the
moving element which react with the moving field in the stator
to produce thrust.
 The induced currents in the aluminum plate manifest
themselves in the form of heat. In cases of high duty cycles or in
locked rotor conditions (where the moving element is not
permitted to move) overheating can occur. In several reported
cases at amusement parks, LIM fins have cracked and parts
haveKalas
Dr. Ahmed melted.
 LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR (LIM)
8

Dr. Ahmed Kalas

 LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR (LIM)
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 LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR (LIM)
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 LINEAR INDUCTION MOTOR (LIM)
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 Traveling mmf wave
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 Traveling mmf wave
Same analogue as that of rotary machines
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14

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 Traveling mmf wave
Same analogue as that of rotary machines
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 Slip S=
 Thrust (F) N = =

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 Different Type Of LIM
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 End Effect

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 There is secondary current and secondary loss which is not

associated with a corresponding amount of useful thrust.
 There are reactive volt-amperes drawn from the supply
which cannot be accounted for either as being due to
magnetization or leakage reactance.
 The physical nature of this phenomena is thought to be due
to the continual removal of magnetic energy at the exit dge
of a machine.
 The exit edge produces a backward thrust on the secondary
which subtracts from the thrust performance in the region of
a speed-thrust curve.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 End Effect
18

 E
 ffect of the exit edge loss on the speed-thrust curve of a LIM.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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• For an LSM to operate properly the control system must

accurately track the position of the moving element in order to
properly synchronize the moving field current in the stationary
frame (stator).

• If synchronization is lost or interrupted the motor slips and loss

of propulsion can occur. This situation is likely to be
encountered by an LSM when external sensors are relied upon
to handle motor synchronization.

• If a sensor becomes dirty or mis-aligned or if fog, smoke or

other airborne obstructions are present, the system will
experience problems.

Dr. Ahmed Kalas

 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
20

Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)

Field winding
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 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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 The basic system construction of the long-stator linear

synchronous motor LSM) drive is shown in Figure 5 through
Figure 7. Figure 5 shows the Transrapid TR08 maglev
vehicle As with the LIM-driven system, propulsion-levitation
modules that wrap around the guideway are located on each
side of each vehicle. Each module contains the exciting field
magnets of the LSM that also serve as the levitation magnets
that pull the vehicle up to the LSM stator magnets packs
attached to he guideway. Figure 6 shows a side-view cross-
section of the LSM with the 3-phase primary winding
embedded in the stator core on the guideway and the
vehicle’s levitation magnets.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
22

Dr. Ahmed Kalas

 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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Dr. Ahmed Kalas

 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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 The long stators of the LSM located on the guideway form the active
track. The reactive forces of propulsion and vehicle levitation act on
the stator cores. Its supporting structure is required to have enough
strength to handle repeated loading of this force, and the stator coils
need to be isolated from ground. Dimensions of the stators are
determined by the highest performance requirement of the systems.

 In order to reduce operational losses and for stability of the power

supply system, the long stator of the LSM is separated into a number
of sections controlled by the section switches. The minimum length
between two section switches depends on the required acceleration
and length of a train. The operating frequency of the section
switches becomes high if a large number of

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 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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 The currents in the stator coils must be

synchronized with the train’s position and
velocity. Proper control of the train can
only be accomplished by sending
information to the converter stations
through the use of sensing equipment and
signal transmission systems. Because
synchronization is essential to the LSM,
the sensing and signal transmission system
must have high precision and reliability.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
26

 The railway substation shown in Figure 7 is

connected to the power grid, so its location may be
constrained. In some cases it is advantageous for the
system operator to own the transmission line from
the grid. The power converter station feeds variable-
voltage power to the long stator sections through the
transmission lines, and controls both the power’s
frequency and phase as required by the train’s
position and velocity.

Dr. Ahmed Kalas

 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
27

 This means that the number of converter stations Φ↑

Φ↓ On-Board Exciting and Levitation Magnets Long
Stator in Guideway must equal the maximum
number of trains possible on the whole track. An
increased number of converter stations will be
required near train terminals and intermediate
stations. Operational voltage of the converter is
limited by the maximum voltage level capability of
transmission cables, section switches, and stator
windings to prevent arcing and electrical breakdown.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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 Advantages
 Vehicle drive power is supplied by the long-stator, winding
attached to the guideway. Because the stator winding and
power conditioning equipment is located wayside, the vehicle
should be generally lighter. This permits the operation at high-
speed (up to 500 kph has been demonstrated) because the
vehicle does not bear the weight of the high-power primary
propulsion components needed to obtain these speeds, nor
does the electric power need to be transferred to the vehicle.
The power-rating capability of the motor can be tailored to the
requirements of the specific section of route such as regions of
high grade or at the station forhigh acceleration.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
30

 The Tran rapid and other proposed LSM systems also

use the on-board levitation electromagnets (or
permanent magnets) as part of the field source for the
LSM propulsion. This results in a highly integrated
bogie (vehicle) design that reduces vehicle weight,
and helps reduce the requirements of the levitation
control system to mitigate the effects of transverse
forces on ride quality. Other systems such as power
generation and operation control can be integrated
with drive system.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
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 Disadvantages
 One disadvantage of the LSM drive is that it requires data for
the exact position of the on-board magnets to ensure that the
vehicle is synchronous with the traveling wave generated by
the stator winding in the guideway. A very reliable and precise
vehicle position and velocity sensing system is essential. This
information must be transmitted to the converter station to
generate the traveling magnetic field at the appropriate
magnitude and frequency. Compared to the simple reaction rail
of the LIM, the active track structure of the LSM is very
complicated. It requires continuous installation of stator coils in
the guideway and wayside
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 Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM)
Field winding
32

 converters to energize each block section of track. This

results in many components that must be maintained to
assure the safety of the system. The maintenance of proper
position of the guideway stator coils is particularly critical
so that the proper clearance gap is maintained to the on-
board levitation/excitation magnets. Reduction of the
normal 1 cm gap can result in significant increase in the
vehicle lift force causing the vehicle to “lock-on” to the
guideway or impact between the vehicle magnets and the
guideway stator. Frequent inspection and maintenance of
the guideway coils and stator core is necessary to ensure
proper alignment.
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Benefits of Linear Motors
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 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
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
 Downsides of Linear Motors
34

 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
Dr. Ahmed Kalas
35 THE END

With my best wishes

Dr. Ahmed Kalas