A linear motor uses multi-phase alternating current to produce linear force along the stator. It can be low or high acceleration and is used in transportation, entertainment, mining, and manufacturing. It was first designed in the 1840s and has since been used in various settings, including airplanes and military weapons.
Sometimes referred to as a linear induction motor, a linear motor is a motor device that operates on the use of a multi-phase alternating current. As part of the design for the engine, the stator is in an uncoiled position. This allows the linear motor to produce a linear force along the length of the stator rather than the more common approach of producing rotation or torque.
Linear motors are generally classified as low acceleration or high acceleration models. The low acceleration model works well for many ground transportation methods, such as with the use of commuter trains. Conversely, a high-acceleration linear motor is ideal for locomotion that is not strictly considered land transport. The range of a high-acceleration linear motor would include entertainment devices such as roller coasters, as well as motors designed to help propel spacecraft through Earth’s atmosphere and into open space.
The concept of electrically operated linear motors actually predates the invention of the automobile. The first designs for a working linear motor are attributed to Charles Wheatstone. Developed in the early 1840s while Wheatstone was associated with King’s College London, the model was workable but generally considered impractical for mass production.
Further technological advances in the 20th century made the idea of a general purpose linear motor more practical. During the first half of the century, designs were patented in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. In addition to use in transportation, the linear motor has also proven usable in mining situations and some manufacturing environments. The invention of a Lorentz-type actuator helped expand the usability and appeal of the linear motor over the course of the century.
Today, the linear motor is naturally used in a number of settings. Airplanes commonly use the engine. Similarly, the engine is used with large aircraft carriers. Many companies around the world use the engine in excavation operations and some factory jobs. Even military weapons may involve the use of a linear motor as part of the design.
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