Rotating to linear motion magnetic converter for low capacity transport applications

Abstract

The paper aims at the feasibility assessment of an innovative rotating to linear motion magnetic converter incorporating a gearing function for short distance and low capacity electric transport applications. The contact-less transmission of the mechanical power due to the interaction of two on-board sets of permanent magnets (PMs) enables more efficient and reliable operation with respect to conventional\ud geared or cable driven vehicles. In the paper, first the thrust performances of a preliminary configuration are evaluated by finite element analyses, identifying the condition that maximizes the interaction between low and high-speed magnetic fields. Then, subsequent parametric analyses are operated to optimize the PMs size and magnetization as well as the shape of the track steel pieces. The final configuration is considered for an example of application in a vehicle, which can be conveniently fitted in urban inclined elevators or people movers

Design Issues of a Rotating to Linear Motion Magnetic Converter for Short-Distance Transport Applications

“…A set of planar PMs (PPMs) having p L -pole pairs interacts with the RPMCs because of the magnetic field modulation produced by a stationary magnetic rack (MR). The latter consists of n s steel pieces (MRSPs) per each PPM array length L [19].…”

“…The RLMC sizing is based on a preliminary analysis which aimed to identify a convenient range for significant design ratios focusing on the thrust and the torque behavior at synchronized operation [19]. Let F s the mean total thrust, f s and torque t c the per unit (pu) depth thrust and total torque, respectively, with mean values f s and t c and standard deviations SD( f s ) and SD(t c ), a set of performance indices are defined to achieve a profitable design:…”

“…The sizes of the basic module shown in Table 3 are obtained considering n m = 5 in line modules to fulfill the maximum length constraints (n m •2τ c < 2 m). Some parametric analyses are carried out by 2D magnetostatic FE code (Ansys Maxwell ® ) to tune the PM and MRSP sizes starting from some reference values obtained in [19]. Suitable meshes are set up by the code built in procedure, aimed to achieve a suitable refinement in the air-gap regions (about 40,000 triangles each in the MRSP and RPMC regions).…”