This paper presents an analytical study of the air-gap magnetic field of a surface permanent magnet (SPM) linear, slot-less machine with a Halbach PM configuration, under the no-load condition. While other analytical formulations of the magnetic field generated by PMs are available, they exhibit some drawbacks, such as only providing a Fourier series, or being suitable to determine magnetic field average values, but not local magnetic field distributions. On the contrary, the proposed approach allows the determination of a unique, closed-form formulation for the slot-less machine air-gap field. This is obtained starting from the complex expression of the magnetic field of a conductor, inside the air gap, between two parallel smooth iron surfaces, obtained by means of the method of images. The magnetic field due to an infinitesimal conductor belonging to a current sheet is then integrated along a segment, providing the expression of the magnetic field due to the corresponding linear current density distribution, for current sheets perpendicular or parallel to the iron surfaces. Any Halbach PM segment disposition can, hence, be obtained via a suitable combination of field distributions generated by couples of current sheets with perpendicular and parallel orientation. Lastly, the no-load magnetic field expression with a Halbach array of PMs is retrieved. The proposed analytical model provides an accurate representation of the magnetic field distribution produced by any Halbach array, with an arbitrary number of segments and orientations. Additionally, the results obtained from the proposed analytical expressions are compared with FEM simulations realized by commercial software, and show an excellent agreement.

This paper presents an analytical study of the air-gap magnetic field of a Surface Permanent Magnet (SPM) linear machine under no load. By means of the method of images, the complex expression of the magnetic field of a conductor, inside the air gap between two smooth iron surfaces, is retrieved. Then, integrating the conductor expression, the formulation of the magnetic field of a current sheet and thus the one of a SPM, using two vertical current sheets, is obtained. At last, the no-load magnetic field expression, for a generic time instant, of a slotless machine is retrieved. The novelty of the proposed approach is the availability, due to a different calculation approach, of a unique closed-form formulation for the slotless machine air-gap field, a quantity that, in literature, is usually present in Fourier series formulation. Additionally, as a means to calculate integral quantities and show the goodness of the method a complex slotting function is introduced to account for the slotted geometry. Finally, starting from Lorenz’s force formulation, the expression of the Maxwell tensor in complex form is retrieved and the contribution of forces, integral of the complex stress tensor quantity, will be calculated and compared with FEM simulations, showing a good agreement also with the analytical slotted model.

The following paper presents an analytical study of the air-gap magnetic field distribution produced by the armature reaction of a linear machine. Based on the method of images, the magnetic field generated by a current carrying conductor inside the air-gap between two smooth infinitely permeable iron surfaces is modeled as a complex 2D function. The conductor model then becomes a current sheet model and horizontally oriented current sheets are used to model the magnetic field produced by the armature reaction for smooth ferromagnetic surfaces. Focus will be given to the study of the slot opening function in front of energized slots in comparison to the not energized ones of the classical theory pointing out some remarkable differences. Later, the model is extended to slotted geometries using a complex slotting function adapted for energized slots. At last, the Maxwell tensor expressed in complex formulation will be integrated to obtain the force components acting on the machine tooth tips, quantities that will be compared with FEM simulations in order to validate the proposed analytical model.

The slot opening function, also called relative air gap permeance, is a function which, multiplied by the flux density distribution of a slotless geometry, gives the flux density distribution of a slotted configuration. Here, the magnetic field inside the air gap of a multi-slot surface facing a smooth one was studied, by solving the Laplace equation inside the air gap, in terms of a Fourier series. To obtain the Fourier coefficients, at first, the conformal mapping analytical solution of a single-slot configuration along the smooth surface, was considered. Then, the principle of superposition of the single-slot lost flux density distributions was applied to obtain the multi-slot distribution. The approach is valid in general, and in the case of interference among the flux density distributions of adjacent slots, where their mutual effect cannot be neglected. The field distributions obtained by using the proposed slot opening functions were compared with FEM simulations, showing satisfactory agreement. The numerical accuracy limits were also analysed and discussed.

This paper presents an analytical study of the air-gap magnetic field distribution of a SPM linear machine, under no-load condition. Based on the method of images, the magnetic field produced by a conductor inside the air-gap between two smooth iron surfaces is modeled as a complex 2D function. The aforementioned conductor model is then extended to a current sheet model, which allows modelling the magnetic field produced by a SPM by the use of two vertical parallel current sheets between two smooth ideal iron surfaces. The model will be then generalized to cover the whole periphery of a smooth machine, considering all PMs and adding the dependence on time. Additionally, a complex slotting function is introduced to account for the slotted geometry. Finally, starting from Lorenz’s force formulation, the expression of the Maxwell tensor in complex form is retrieved and the contribute of forces, integral of the complex stress tensor quantity, will be calculated and compared with FEM simulations, showing a good agreement with the analytical slotted model.