Design of a New Fault-Tolerant Linear Permanent-Magnet Vernier Machine

Abstract

A new linear permanent-magnet (PM) vernier machine with high fault-tolerant is proposed and studied in this article. PM array with optimally aligned PM, six-phase winding structure, and modular mover design are adopted in this machine. The PM array with optimally aligned PM is adopted to increase thrust force by adjusting magnetizing direction and thickness of the PMs. The six-phase winding structure and the modular mover are adopted to decrease coupling between phases and detent force. Moreover, the proposed machine can operate under different phase conditions with this winding structure. Hence, the fault-tolerant capability and thrust force performance of the machine can be improved by the adoption of these designs. The topological structure, operating principle, and design optimization of the machine are first studied in this article. And then the fault-tolerant capability and thrust force performance of the machine are analyzed by establishing the finite-element model. Lastly, the effectiveness of these designs is verified by the experiments on a prototype machine.