Permanent Magnet Linear Synchronous

Motor (PM LSM)

Dr. M. El-Nemr
Faculty of Engineering-Tanta University, Egypt

1. Introduction
Linear induction motor (LIM) is characterized by its high reliability, low cost and low
maintenance requirements. However, LIM operates at relatively small airgap. Large clearance
will be required for the operation of real scale vehicle. On the other hand, linear synchronous
motor (LSM) operates at relatively, large airgap. In addition, LSM can operate either in
attraction or repulsion mode independent of operating speed. Therefore, LSM is the most
recommended candidate for traction applications. The combined propulsion and levitation is
achieved by controlling the force space vector using the decupling control law.

2. Characteristics of PM LSM in Maglev Mode

Long-stator permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PM LSM) consists of stator fitted
with three phase windings and moving member- called translator or forcer- made of PM array
arranged in alternative polarity. The propulsion takes place in x-direction while levitation takes
place in z-direction. Motion is mechanically restricted in y-direction.
When the stator windings – the armature- are excited, propulsion and levitation forces are
developed due to the interaction between stator current and translator MMF. Typically, these
forces depend on the motor design parameters, armature current and the mechanical load angle.
The mechanical load angle x0 is defined as the phase distance between the magnet and armature
MMFs. It is a common practice to express x0 as a ratio of LSM pole pitch . Fig. 1 shows the
sinusoidal dependency of the developed forces on the mechanical load angle.
The maximum force is function of motor design parameters and current. It is obvious that
forces can be controlled with armature current and mechanical load angle as control parameters.
In addition, PM LSM propulsion force should satisfy the acceleration, running and deceleration
requirements. It is obvious that operation mode depends on the range of variation of x0.

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Thrust force Driving Repuslive

Lift force
Attractive
Barking

-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1

Mechanical load angle x0/ Mechanical load angle x0/

(a) Thrust force (b) Lift forces

Fig. 1 Force of LSM as dependency on mechanical load angle

3. Analytical model of PM LSM

Figure 2(a) shows longitudinal cross-section of a long-stator LSM with a flat arrangement of
PM's. The laminated ferromagnetic stator is fitted with three-phase double-layer windings. The
translator is made of an array of PM with alternating polarity fixed on a yoke of laminated iron.
It is assumed that the PM is magnetized constantly with coercive force Hc in the z-direction. Hc
can be represented in Fourier series as:
H c ( x ')  
i 1,3,...
H cn cos( kn x ') (1)

where
4 1 l 
H cn  Hc sin n M (2)
 n  2

kn  n (3)

The fundamental components of MMFs produced by the PMs and the current-carrying stator
windings are indicated in Fig. 2(b) and 2(c). The airgap-length  is the distance between the
surface of PM and that of the stator. Under balanced three-phase conditions, the instantaneous
phase currents are given by:
ia  2 I cos t  (4)

ib  2 I cos t  2 / 3 (5)

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ic  2 I cos t  4 / 3 (6)

When the origin of the x-axis is taken to be at the center of the phase winding, the fundamental
component of the resulting MMF wave is:

(MMF)1  F1m cos(t  x) (7)

(MMF)1 is the fundamental component of MMF due to stator currents on the coordinate x'
moving at the synchronous speed. Similarly, Hc1(x') is the fundamental component of MMF due
to PMs.
If the translator moves at synchronous speed of vx0 in x-direction and the PM MMF wave lags
behind the stator MMF of equation by x0. From Fig. 2(c), the following relationship between the
stationary and moving coordinate system is:
x  vx 0t  x ' x 0 (8)

where synchronous speed of vx0 is related to the electrical frequency f as follows:

vx 0  2 f (9)

4. PM LSM forces calculations

The analytical formulas for PM LSM Maglev system are found by solving the multilayer
boundary-value field problem using transfer-matrix method. The thrust force Fx can be expressed
in the simple and exact form:

Fx  K F 0 ( e ) I1 sin x (10)
 0
The effective length e is the airgap modified by using Carter's coefficient kc.
 e  kc (11)

Similarly, the lift force Fz is given by:


Fz   K zs ( e ) I12  K zMs ( e ) I1 cos x  K zM ( e ) (12)
 0
The first term of (12) is an attractive force of iron stator with current-carrying windings, which
attracts magnetically the PM yoke of the translator. The second term is an attractive or repulsive
force between the stator current and PMs. The third term is an attractive force of the PMs, which
attracts magnetically the stator laminated-iron of stator rail.

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z z

Translator
N S N S N


Stator x'
y y

a) Longitudinal cross section of the PM LSM

H(x')

Hc
x'

lM


(b) Permanent magnet MMF distribution per unit length along the PM height

Hc1

Fm1 x'

x0

(c) Fundamental components of MMF produced by PMs and stator current

Fig. 2 Long-stator LSM with PM excitation and MMF distribution

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It is obvious that existence of two attractive force components between the guideway and the
vehicle. Moreover, one of them, namely the attractive force between the PM and guideway back
iron, depends only on the airgap. That means its value will be constant at certain airgap length.
Hereby, the stator back iron maybe removed to satisfy the design requirements. The other
component, namely the attractive force between the current carrying stator winding and the PM
back iron, is proportional to current squared, which limits the utilization of high current.
Therefore, the good design should seek the maximization of the attractive of the third force
component, the cosinusoidal term. The key factor to manipulate this force component is the pole
pitch . However,  is related to the synchronous speed vx. Fig. 3 shows the variation of pole
pitch against pole pitch and maximum pole number with speed as parameter. The small pole
pitch presents a limit for the maximum armature current. Furthermore, small pole pitch results in
large pole number utilization to satisfy the propulsion demand.
1.3 200

1.2

1.1
160
1

0.9

0.8 120
pmax(poles)

0.7
(m)

0.6
Increase 80
0.5
Speed
0.4

0.3
40
0.2

0.1

0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 5 10 15 20 25 30
f (Hz) f (Hz)
(a) Variation of pole pitch against frequency (b) Max number of poles against frequency for
certain vehicle length

Fig. 3 Effect of supply frequency on pole number and pole pitch selection

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5. Vehicle Dynamics
The motion of ME is desired to follow a certain demand pattern. The demand pattern describes
the position and speed variation against time in both x and z-directions. Therefore, the thrust and
lift forces have to be controlled quickly without coupling for the vehicle to levitate and run
stably. The vehicle dynamics is described mathematically in the form of two equations of motion
as follows:
x2  Fx  FRx
M x  (2-31)

M z z2  Fz  Mg  FRz (2-32)

where M is the vehicle’s mass, Mx is the equivalent mass in the x-direction and Mz is the
equivalent mass in the z-direction. The equivalent mass (some times called virtual mass) is mass
of the vehicle plus the mass of fluid that is accelerated with the vehicle. Fx and Fz are the thrust
force and lift forces respectively. g is the acceleration of gravity. FRx and FRz are the running
resistance in x and z directions respectively. Figure 4 shows the variation of drag force (which
presents the main running resistance) against speed in x direction. These equations present the
base for motion dynamics.
10 1000

8 800
Drag force (MN)

6 600
Drag force (ton)
FD

4 400
FVF

2 op 200
Full Load FDP
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50
vx(km/h)

Fig. 4 Variation of drag force against motor speed

6. Some Experimental Vehicles

Figure 5(a) shows a longitudinal section of the underwater experimental PM LSM Maglev
vehicle ME02 available in YOSHIDA laboratory, Kyushu University, Japan. Figure 5(b) shows the
guide rollers arrangement as well as their location. The side guide rollers provide lateral
guidance. The upper and lower guide rollers restrain the airgap length as well as pitching motion.

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(a) Longitudinal view

(b) Transverse cross section

Fig. 5 Design outline of underwater experimental model vehicle ME02

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