A Novel Track Structure of Double-Sided Linear PM Synchronous Motor for Low Cost and High Force Density Applications

Conventional coreless linear permanent-magnet (PM) synchronous motors have been used commonly in various applications in industry. In this article, coreless double-sided PM linear motor design alternatives are proposed with a novel track structure with less magnets. A linear motor design with conventional coreless PM linear synchronous motor (PMLSM) is provided as a benchmark. Detailed 3-D finite-element analysis simulations for the proposed new track structures are presented with conventional linear motor design data. A thorough performance comparison is also presented. A prototype motor of a promising track design is built and tested. It is shown that the design data and test results are in good agreement, and the proposed alternative track design could be a decent low cost and relatively high force density solution for some applications.