Application
Linear motors for maglev propulsion
Contactless thrust for levitated vehicles. Motor performance is assessed alongside the suspension’s working gap and the route duty.
Propulsion is separate from levitation
The linear motor supplies longitudinal thrust; suspension and guidance support and steer the vehicle. Axis’s scope here is the propulsion motor, not the complete levitation system.
A travelling magnetic field acts on a conductive reaction plate across an air gap. A variable-frequency drive changes field speed as the vehicle accelerates, while current, slip and thermal limits determine usable thrust.
Choose the primary location
| Design choice | Primary on vehicle | Primary in track |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | Powered primary travels with the vehicle. | Short, passive reaction plate. |
| Track | Passive reaction rail along the driven route. | Motor sections powered and controlled as required. |
| Trade-off | Moving motor mass and power supply versus continuous-rail cost. | Simpler vehicle propulsion hardware versus more active track equipment. |
Compare route length, fleet and service pattern, and maintenance arrangements.
Match the motor gap to the suspension
Reaction-rail material and geometry affect thrust. The suspension must maintain the gap assumed in the motor design across speed, load and alignment variations.
Propulsion and suspension teams therefore need one agreed gap budget. A nominal-gap result alone does not establish performance over the vehicle’s full movement envelope.
Assess the complete journey
- Route: speed profile, gradients, acceleration and station stops.
- Electrical: drive frequency, voltage, current and sectional energisation.
- Thermal: motor and reaction-rail temperatures over repeated service.
- Interfaces: gap tolerance, mounting loads and guidance requirements.
Axis records the layout assumptions and predicted operating range so the propulsion interfaces can be checked with the wider system.
Developing a levitated vehicle?
Share the route, speed profile, load and gap budget.