Enhancing Thrust Performance of Linear Induction Motors for Sustainable Transport Systems Through End-Effect Compensation
Abstract
Linear Induction Motors have emerged as a critical propulsion technology for sustainable transportation systems due to their ability to generate direct linear thrust with minimal mechanical contact, reduced maintenance requirements, and compatibility with electrified and renewable energy infrastructures. Despite these advantages, LIM performance is significantly constrained by electromagnetic end-effects, namely the limit effect and verge effect which cause flux distortion, leakage, reduced thrust force, and efficiency degradation. These limitations are particularly critical in high-speed and heavy-duty transport applications such as maglev trains, automated rail transit, and urban people movers, where stable thrust and energy efficiency are paramount. This paper presents a comprehensive analytical and simulation-based investigation into thrust enhancement of Linear Induction Motors through systematic end-effect compensation. An equivalent circuit-based modelling framework incorporating end-effect coefficients is developed to accurately represent electromagnetic behaviour. Extensive MATLAB/Simulink simulations demonstrate that the proposed compensation strategy yields significant performance improvements across wide operating conditions. Results show that electromagnetic thrust increases by up to 25.3%, while overall efficiency improves by 14.8% at high operating speeds. In addition, torque ripple is reduced by approximately 62.4%, leading to enhanced propulsion smoothness and mechanical stability. Harmonic analysis reveals that total harmonic distortion of the air-gap flux, stator current, and thrust decreases by 63.0%, 63.4%, and 65.6%, respectively, confirming substantial power quality enhancement. Furthermore, spatial flux distribution analysis verifies significant mitigation of longitudinal and transverse field distortion, resulting in restored traveling-wave symmetry and uniform electromagnetic coupling. These results confirm that the proposed methodology provides a robust, cost-effective, and scalable solution for improving LIM propulsion performance, energy efficiency, and operational reliability, thereby enabling next-generation sustainable and high-speed transport systems.
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