Analysis and power scaling of a single-sided linear induction machine for energy harvesting

Although Single-Sided Linear Induction Machines (SLIMs) have been analyzed and tested intensively as prime movers for different applications in literature, their application for energy harvesting has not been studied rigorously. This paper investigates the use of SLIMs for watt-range energy harvesting from a moving steel body with smooth surface (solid steel secondary) in order to supply control electronics and actuators in industrial environments. Based on a brief study of the electromagnetic relations in the air gap and the solid steel secondary, a power scaling law as function of the geometric parameters and stator current is derived. The scaling law is verified with two-dimensional Finite Element Method (2-D FEM) simulations and measurements on a test setup. The proposed scaling law is an effective tool for estimating the performance of a SLIM for contactless energy harvesting in emerging industry and consumer applications.