Design, Modeling and Analysis of Transverse Flux Linear Switched Reluctance Actuator Using Decoupled Flux Method

Linear actuators commonly operate in a transient regime. Accurately modeling the transience in reluctance-based linear actuators is challenging due to the intricate cross-coupling of electromechanical variables. The coupling of magnetic flux- current-position, alongside material and geometric nonlinearity makes the constitutive equations difficult to solve. To address this, a novel decoupled flux formulation is proposed that represents magnetic flux as an independent function of position and current, thus eliminating the need for look-up tables. This formulation is integrated into the design process to estimate optimal actuator dimensions and switching points, taking into account the system's transient dynamics. Unobservable electromagnetic variables such as back EMF, inductive drop, and magnetic flux parameters are computed efficiently while considering saturation effects. Furthermore, the model is generalized for adaptability in switched reluctance drives. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is validated through extensive finite element simulations and experiments on a linear transverse flux switched actuator.