A high force density linear switched reluctance machine

The authors present the design of a 6:4, double-sided, double-translator LSRM (linear switched reluctance motor) that develops 5.1 lbs/in² of air gap force shear. They develop a permeance-tube-based method to allow simple algebraic magnetic circuit analysis and associated prediction of flux linkages regardless of the level of magnetic saturation of the ferromagnetic structure. Theoretical static thrust predictions are made based on the calculation of change in stored magnetic coenergy per unit distance of translator movement. Laboratory testing of a proof-of-principle LSRM, built to verify the theoretical predictions, shows that the calculated and measured average thrust values agree within reasonable error over the range of excitation