Design and Analysis of a Self-Holding Three-Position Electric Tubular Actuator

A self-holding three-position electric tubular actuator (SHTPETA) is described in the article. The proposed linear actuator can be applied in a clutch system, where it is necessary to change certain mover positions over time. Other potential applications of such actuators can be shift of gears, coupling (decoupling) of various moving (rotating) mechanisms, or electromagnetic valves. The self-holding force of the proposed SHTPETA is achieved by the reluctance force between the armature and mover cores, where a magnetic flux is excited by a permanent magnet located in the armature and an excitation current is not needed, whereas the moving force is determined by the dc voltage (current) applied to two coils located in the stationary part of the SHTPETA. The article proposes a relatively fast and simple approach for the SHTPETA design process based on the required forces and moved distance.