%0 Journal Article
%T Magnetic Field Analysis of Lorentz Motors Using a Novel Segmented Magnetic Equivalent Circuit Method
%A Junbing Qian
%A Xuedong Chen
%A Han Chen
%A Lizhan Zeng
%A Xiaoqing Li
%J Sensors
%D 2013
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/s130201664
%X A simple and accurate method based on the magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model is proposed in this paper to predict magnetic flux density (MFD) distribution of the air-gap in a Lorentz motor (LM). In conventional MEC methods, the permanent magnet (PM) is treated as one common source and all branches of MEC are coupled together to become a MEC network. In our proposed method, every PM flux source is divided into three sub-sections (the outer, the middle and the inner). Thus, the MEC of LM is divided correspondingly into three independent sub-loops. As the size of the middle sub-MEC is small enough, it can be treated as an ideal MEC and solved accurately. Combining with decoupled analysis of outer and inner MECs, MFD distribution in the air-gap can be approximated by a quadratic curve, and the complex calculation of reluctances in MECs can be avoided. The segmented magnetic equivalent circuit (SMEC) method is used to analyze a LM, and its effectiveness is demonstrated by comparison with FEA, conventional MEC and experimental results.
%K magnetic equivalent circuit
%K finite element analysis
%K Lorentz motor
%K magnetic flux density
%K quadratic curve
%U http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/13/2/1664