Detailed study of the magnetic circuit in a longitudinal flux permanent-magnet synchronous linear generator

We present the results of a theoretical study of the magnetic circuit of a longitudinal flux permanent-magnet synchronous linear generator. In our study, we used a coupled field and circuit model solved by a time-stepping finite-element technique to analyze the machine. We investigated the effects of different permanent-magnet shapes and sizes, as well as different stator steel geometries. We noted a significant difference in performance for different magnet shapes. Our results also illustrate how small changes, on a millimeter scale, will affect the flux path, and thereby the overall performance of the machine, highlighting the importance of stator steel geometry.