Modeling and Analysis of Force Characteristics for Hybrid Excitation Linear Eddy Current Brake

In this paper, a novel parallel magnetic path hybrid excitation linear eddy current brake is presented. The parallel magnetic path scheme is adopted in the proposed eddy current brake. Flux lines of permanent magnets are opposite to the ones from the excitation windings, which have the effect of mitigating the saturation of the primary teeth. This allows the brake to be fed with more intense currents improving the braking force. The structure and the working principle are introduced. The analytical model of the hybrid excitation linear eddy current brake is built based on the magnetic circuit method and the layer theory approach. The relationship between the force characteristics and the design parameters are analyzed. The finite element analysis is employed to confirm the validity of the analysis and compare it with the experimental results obtained from the prototype of hybrid excitation linear eddy current brake.