Development of a Scale Vehicle to Test and Analyze the Performances of a Homopolar Linear Motor and its Electromagnetic Levitation System

Homopolar linear machines are particularly interesting due to their passive track and could be well adapted for transportation systems. They eliminate the need for permanent magnets used in synchronous motors and exhibit better power factors compared to induction machines. This paper presents the performance and measurement results of a scaled vehicle equipped with a Homopolar Linear Motor and its separate levitation system. Advantages and drawbacks of this system are also discussed and compared with other technologies