Minimization of cogging force in fractional-slot permanent magnet linear motors with double-layer concentrated windings

Permanent magnet linear motors (PMLMs) with double-layer concentrated windings generally show significant cogging forces due to the introduction of auxiliary teeth for eliminating the end-effect induced phase unbalance, even when the fractional-slot technology is applied. This paper presents a novel approach to reduce the cogging force by adjusting the armature core dimensions in fractional-slot PMLMs with double-layer concentrated windings, together with magnet skewing. It is shown that the proposed technique is capable of reducing the cogging force of the motor in an effective way, with the peak value minimized to less than 0.4% of the rated thrust force in the case study. Such a technique can also be applicable to other linear motors with appropriate changes.