Analysis of the traction forces of two adjacent linear induction motors

Linear induction motors (LIMs) are positioned head-to-tail in medium and low-speed maglev (MLSM) trains, and the interaction due to small spacing between two LIMs is not yet clear. In this work, based on the 2D electromagnetic field theory, the vector magnetic potential (VMP) of each region was solved, and the traction forces of two adjacent LIMs were derived. Subsequently, the correctness of the theoretical model was verified by simulation. Finally, the effects of the spacing, wiring type, pole pitch, speed, etc., on the traction forces of two adjacent LIMs were analyzed. The results show that the traction force of LIM1 (arranged in front) is almost unaffected by LIM2 (arranged behind LIM1), while that of LIM2 fluctuates periodically with the spacing, and the smaller the spacing, the greater the fluctuation amplitude. Meanwhile, the larger the pole pitch, the more the pole number, the greater the slip frequency, and the lower the speed, the smaller the effect of LIM1 on LIM2. When the spacing takes 1.1 to 1.6 times the pole pitch, the traction force of LIM2 is larger than that of LIM1. The achievements can provide technical support for enhancing the traction performance of the LIMs in the MLSM trains.