Thrust Ripple Analysis on Toroidal-Winding Linear Permanent Magnet Vernier Machine

Linear permanent magnet Vernier machines (LPMVM) have received more and more attention in recent years due to the advantages of high thrust density and low thrust ripple, which are both required in many direct-drive applications. In this paper, a double-sided toroidal-winding LPMVM (DSTWLPMVM) is proposed, and the thrust ripple sources for this type of machine are analyzed. To emphasize the specificity of LPMVM in aspect of thrust ripple optimization, a traditional fractional-slot linear permanent magnet synchronous machine is selected as a reference. Two indexes [amplitude difference (AD) and phase shifting (PS)] are defined to quantify the thrust ripple caused by the AD and the PS among three-phase electromotive force (EMF), respectively. Additionally, detent force is also considered when optimizing the three-phase EMF. Finally, a prototype of DSTWLPMVM is manufactured and tested. The measured EMF is basically symmetrical sinusoidal waveforms and the peak-to-peak value of the detent force is lower than 10 N.