Development and application of a linear induction machine for instructional laboratory use

One of the difficulties of introductory electric machinery laboratory courses is developing labs that allow students to observe the physics and internal hardware of a motor while it is operating. As a solution to this challenge, this paper discusses the development of a linear induction motor and mount system that allows students to easily visualize the motor while in motion, vary parameters in the motor design to observe their effect on performance, and gain experience with a type of motor that is often overlooked in introductory courses. Introductory laboratory experiments are presented to demonstrate how this experimental hardware can be integrated into a laboratory course.