Characteristics of Cogging Force to a Non-Magnetic Thin Plate Created by an AC Ampere Type Linear Maglev Conveyance System

We previously reported that an ac Ampere type maglev conveyance system can maintain levitation height of an aluminum (Al) plate at a constant level while suppressing heat loss in the plate. In this paper, we focus on the cogging force which the proposed Ampere type maglev necessarily creates when the system stably levitates the Al plate. In comparison with a conventional ac induction type maglev system, we experimentally found that the Ampere type maglev created less cogging force in the conveyance direction. We also verified that the phenomenon contributed to energy saving at the starting to convey the Al plate.