Design and optimization of linear induction motor to improve performance and starting conditions

Nowadays, linear induction motors have been employed in different industries and in applications with linear motion. Different topologies can be considered for these motors; one of them is based on their secondary construction. Linear induction motors have two secondary types: sheet and ladder. In this paper, first, the analysis and modeling of the sheet and ladder-secondary linear induction motor are discussed and their formulation is expressed. Then, considering the effect of the end-effect phenomenon, these two types of motors have been designed and optimized by using the particle swarm optimization algorithm and choosing the efficiency, power factor, weight and end-effect braking force as the objective function. The results show significantly improvements of the objective function. To confirm the results of the design, Finite Element Method has been used. According to the results, it can be seen that the ladder-secondary linear induction motor produces more thrust than sheet-secondary linear induction motor, which can be used to improve starting conditions and motor performance.