The present invention is to provide a launcher for an underwater vehicle by which thrust force of a mover arranged movably in a water conducting tube can efficiently be obtained. The mover forms a plurality of magnetic circuits in which magnetic flux generated by a plurality of permanent magnets flows, and the plurality of magnetic circuits includes a first magnetic circuit in which the magnetic flux flows through one of a pair of circumferential magnets, a second magnetic circuit in which the magnetic flux flows through one of a pair of axial magnets, the second magnetic circuit being formed in parallel to the first magnetic circuit, and a third magnetic circuit in which the magnetic flux flows through a radial magnet, the third magnetic circuit being formed in parallel to the first magnetic circuit and the second magnetic circuit, respectively.

An electric motor assembly includes a rotor assembly includes a magnet coupled to a rotatable member and a stator assembly including a conductor winding configured to be actuated to cause the rotor to rotate based on an amount of magnetic flux in the rotor assembly. The assembly also includes a controllable magnetic device coupled to the rotatable member and configured to rotate with the rotatable member and a controller assembly configured to apply electric current to the controllable magnetic device to adjust the magnetic flux in the rotor assembly.

An electric motor assembly includes a primary electric motor including a primary rotor assembly and a primary stator assembly configured to be actuated to cause the primary rotor assembly to rotate based on an amount of magnetic flux in the rotor assembly. The assembly also includes a secondary electric motor including a secondary rotor assembly and a secondary stator assembly and a controllable magnetic device coupled to at least one of the primary rotor assembly and the secondary rotor assembly. The assembly also includes a controller configured to actuate the secondary electric motor based on a failure of the primary electric motor, and apply electric current to the controllable magnetic device to reduce back electromotive force (BEMF) caused by rotation of the primary rotor assembly during actuation of the secondary electric motor.

A magnet linear actuator includes a first element and an armature situated on a support, with the armature being movable along a movement axis between a first position engaged with the first element and the second position spaced away from the first element along the movement axis. The actuator further includes a biasing element that biases the armature in a direction generally toward the second position. The first element or the armature is pivotable with respect to the other between a first orientation and a second orientation. In the first orientation, the first element and the armature have a first magnetic attraction to one another that is sufficient to overcome the bias of the biasing element and to retain the armature in the first position. In the second orientation, the first element and the armature have either a magnetic repulsion to one another or a weaker second magnetic attraction.

A secondary part, which defines a magnetic path for a primary part of a linear motor, includes a spacer element having a plurality of mounting points that, in an application, are configured to fasten the secondary part. Two yoke plates that form lateral sides are configured to be fastened to the spacer element such that the two yoke plates extend in mutual opposition, orthogonally to the magnetic path. The two yoke plates are configured to accommodate a plurality of permanent magnets on respective inner sides thereof. The two yoke plates have, on respective outer sides thereof, a reinforcing structure that is formed by a periodic variation of plate thickness in the direction of the magnetic path. Local minima of the reinforcing structure overlapping with the mounting points along the direction of the magnetic path.

Drive coils in sections of a linear motor track that are normally used to electromagnetically propel movers along the track when such movers are nearby can be used to generate a mid-bus voltage for the section when not being used to propel movers. Such drive coils not being used to propel movers are considered idle and available for mid-bus voltage generation. The mid-bus voltage, and a full-bus voltage from which the mid-bus voltage is derived, in turn, can be applied across other drive coils that are near movers with varying polarities and magnitudes to propel movers along the track. Track sensors can be positioned along the track to detect presences or absences of movers with respect to drive coils for determining propulsion of such movers or generation of the mid-bus voltage. Accordingly, power supplies can be used more efficiently by not requiring them to generate mid-bus voltages in addition to full-bus voltages and DC references.

An actuation assembly according to an example of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a drive mechanism that has an array of magnetic members moveable along an axis, and a gear train that has an input and an output. The drive mechanism causes the input to move in response to generating an electromagnetic field that interacts with at least one of the array of magnetic members.

A synchronous linear motor, including: a stator including projecting poles including magnetic bodies; and a movable element arranged opposed to the projecting poles through a space. The movable element includes a core with a magnetic body, coils, and permanent magnets arrayed along a moving direction. The core includes core backs and teeth projecting from the core backs toward the projecting poles. The coils are at least wound around the teeth on both end sides in the moving direction. The permanent magnets are arranged at center portions of the teeth along a projecting direction of the teeth. A polarity of a magnetic pole of the permanent magnet is the same as a polarity of an opposed magnetic pole in an adjacent permanent magnet. The number of different shapes of the permanent magnets or the number of different magnetic characteristics of the permanent magnets is two or more.

A method for moving a stage includes coupling a stage mover to the stage, and directing current to the stage mover with a control system. The stage mover includes a magnet array and a conductor array positioned adjacent to the magnet array. The conductor array includes a first layer of coils and a second layer of coils, with the first layer of coils being closer to the magnet array than the second layer of coils. The control system directs current to the first layer of coils and the second layer of coils independently. Further, the control system directs more current to the first layer of coils than the second layer of coils during a movement step to reduce the power consumption.

In a transition of a transport unit of a long stator linear motor from a first control zone to a following second control zone in a movement direction, a first segment control unit is responsible for controlling the movement of the transport unit and the first control zone is extended, in the movement direction, by a number of virtual drive coils. The first segment control unit, which is assigned to the first control zone, calculates manipulated variables for the virtual drive coils, and transmits the manipulated variables for the virtual drive coils to the second segment control unit, which is assigned to the second control zone. The second segment control unit uses the transmitted manipulated variables for the virtual drive coils in order to energize the drive coils of the second control zone for moving the transport unit.