Analysis and experiments of a novel synchronous PM planar motor with minimized cogging force

We deal with analysis and experiments of a novel moving-coil-type synchronous permanent magnet planar motor (SPMPM) with reduced cogging force. Our previous study assumed that the equation of magnetic flux existing between a permanent magnet (PM) and core was a second-order polynomial, and the minimum cogging force was theoretically and geometrically calculated without FE analysis. In this paper, the cogging force of SPMPM with an iron core is calculated exactly using geometrical factors, which are desired for determining the magnetic flux density. The analytical results of the cogging force using the factors agree well with those obtained by FE analysis and experiment. Several methods for reducing the cogging force of the SPMPM, such as separation and arrangement of the iron core, addition of an extra core, and addition of auxiliary core teeth, are introduced in this paper. Velocity control experiments of the SPMPM with modified and unmodified cores are carried out and the results are compared with each other. The velocity ripple of SPMPM with a modified core is much smaller than that of SPMPM with an unmodified core.