Power Density Optimisation of a Linear Electrical Drive

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Linear electrical machines provide a compact and mechanically efficient way of interfacing electrical power and linear motion. A linear electrical drive consists of an electrical machine, a power converter, a motion control algorithm, a power flow controller and mechanical integration. Within electric propulsion, linear electrical drives have applications in free piston engines, aerospace actuation, mag-lev and electric steering. Outside of propulsion, they are commonly found in industrial process actuation and considered in renewable energy applications.Although the electromagnetics are common with their rotatory counterpart, the reciprocating nature of linear drives poses unique challenges to the electrical machine and power converter, resulting in pulsating electrical power and unbalanced magnetic forces. High force density, high efficiency, low cost, robust and fault tolerance are all desirable qualities, and the most appropriate design is often a compromise between these in terms of impact on overall system cost.In this project overall power density (kW/kg) of linear electrical drives will be investigated. By integrating models of active mass, support structures and power electronic components, a scalable linear electric drive will be developed against a typical propulsion specification.