Influences of Secondary Width on Traction Characteristics in Linear Induction Motors with Flatted Composite Secondary

Since the linear induction motor works with a flatted secondary in the most of application especially in the urban transit, the transverse end effect is non-negligible and the secondary width is a key parameter to the effect. This paper investigates the influences of different values of secondary width, including the width of non-ferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layer, on traction characteristics, e.g., thrust, vertical force and secondary loss, in linear induction motors. First, a three-dimensional model used for the finite element method is established and the parametric setup for the analysis is determined. Second, the curves for traction characteristics versus secondary width are comprehensively analyzed and discussed. Finally, the relation between the optimal secondary width and geometric dimension of the motor is concluded by the calculation results.