Linear induction motor has been used in urban railway transportation. However, the thrust and efficiency are relatively low. Recently, linear primary permanent magnet vernier motor is investigated for potential application in railway transportation due to the higher thrust and efficiency, while no comprehensive comparison exists between the linear primary permanent magnet vernier motor and linear induction motor of the same size to prove the feasibility. Therefore, a comparative analysis between the two motors is conducted in this paper. Firstly, a linear induction motor for railway transportation is built. Secondly, a linear primary permanent magnet vernier motor of the same size as the induction motor is designed and optimized. Thirdly, the electromagnetic performance of two motors is compared and analyzed by using finite element method. The results show that the liner primary permanent magnet vernier motor exhibits higher thrust and efficiency. Finally, a small-sized prototype of the linear primary permanent magnet vernier motor is constructed to validate the simulation.
