Comparative analysis of linear variable reluctance motors with coupled and uncoupled flux paths

This paper provides a comparison between two types of linear variable reluctance motors. The coupled flux path configuration has a non-diagonal inductance matrix and is operated with synchronous excitation, whereas the uncoupled flux path configuration has a diagonal inductance matrix and is operated with switched excitation. Constrained optimization methods are used to investigate the force production capabilities of both magnetic configurations. The specific measure of performance emphasized here is the ratio of current-limited ripple-free force to moving mass or, equivalently, the maximum achievable fully controllable acceleration. This focus is motivated by robotics applications, e.g. component placement machines used in electronics assembly.