Electromagnetic Actuators

As a result of his work on the design and development of simulator motion bases, Phillip Denne has created a variety of machines to replace the hydraulic rams conventionally employed as actuators. The earliest prototypes of the electric rams were called "PemRams" (an abbreviation for "pneumatic electromagnetic rams") and later improvements were called "ServoRams" (to draw attention to their equivalence with brushless three-phase servomotors).

Although their original target application was the simulator motion base market, the novel electrical machines were found to have a large number of potential industrial uses. However, to meet the exacting requirements of industrial markets, it was necessary for Denne to improve the rated continuous output power by more than an order of magnitude. That objective has now been achieved in the latest types of linear motor.

For the last 3 years, Denne has been developing a new wireless motor technology, initially embodied in the Intellimax™ (shown right). Such powerful wireless electrical machines were originally designed to replace linear hydraulic actuators in military and industrial markets – and the first prototype is intended as a high-thrust, long-stroke replacement for the “nodding donkey” jack pump in the oil industry. It should be noted that the new genus of electrical machines is fully scaleable and can be applied to any size of electrical machine, of whatever type and function.

Further Information

	Powerful Electrical Machines Without Wire Coils
	The origin and potential applications of a completely new type of electrical machine, January 2010.
During the last few years, Phillip Denne has been working on the extension of linear and rotary actuators into markets that require very large thrusts, gearless high torques and significant continuous power ratings. This development of the new machines was initially in response to military demands, but the first high-volume application has been in the oil business. Crostek Management Corp, a Canadian Company in Red Deer, Alberta, specialises in high technology products for the oil and gas business. It has set out to replace the conventional “Nodding Donkey” pump jack by a free-piston linear electric actuator that supports a load of ten tonnes in a non-stop pumping cycle, operating in all weathers. It is fully-enclosed and silent, has only one moving part and lightly-loaded bearings and is much more efficient than the conventional mechanism. It is capable of sensing the pumping conditions at the bottom of the well (which may be 6000 ft deep) on a continuous basis and of reacting autonomously so as to optimise the pumping rate whilst protecting itself and the pump to which it is connected. Denne’s planar wireless motor technology is the only means by which such a lightweight, low-cost, powerful machine could have been constructed. The patents protecting the disruptive planar wireless motors technology cover electrical machines of all types, linear and rotary motors or generators, large or small. There are many large potential markets for such products. Read more...
	Intellimax™ Presentation
	November 2008
This short presentation on the development and prospects of the Intellimax™ is narrated by Phillip Denne. View presentation...
	CBC broadcast on Intellimax™
	November 2008
A video of a recent news broadcast about the Intellimax™ on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) news. Watch video...
	High-Power Brushless Three-Phase Linear Electric Motors
	The development of the PemRam™, the ServoRam™ and their recent successors, June 2005.
Considering the purpose of a motion simulator, it is surely incongruous to use stiff hydraulic rams for the mechanism. The simulator has to create the impression of suspension and of motion – often of actually flying! A new form of cylindrical electric linear motor was therefore designed to replace the hydraulic rams – at least in small simulators. Early forms of the linear motor were called PemRams™ - and later ServoRams™. In principle, large potential markets also exist for linear electric motors of a similar kind to replace hydraulics in vehicle applications, test machinery and manufacturing industry.. But if they are to replace hydraulics, industrial linear motors must operate at high continuous power levels, be low in cost and very reliable - and have a position lock on power failure. A new type of linear motor, originally designed for military applications, now meets all those requirements. The latest electrical machines are not cylindrical “rams”. They can deliver exceptionally-high power outputs, are simple to construct, can be precisely controlled, do not need special cooling and have a long service life. Read more...
	A New Family of Dual-Action Linear Motors
	Paper presented to the Conference on Mechatronics, Atlanta, 2000.
This presentation describes the origins, development and some recent applications of a new family of linear motors. The machines are based on a very versatile form of three-phase tubular motor that is capable of producing large thrusts and precise movements at high velocities. Read more...
	Electromagnetic Rams - A Better Way to Move Things About?
	Paper presented to the Drives and Controls Conference, Telford, 2000.
Electromagnetic rams - development, different topologies, control characteristics, electromagnetic design, distinguishing features, performance advantages, and potential applications - military, suspension systems, industrial, elevators. Read more...
	Virtual Motion
	Paper presented to the Conference on Virtual Reality, San Jose, April 1994.
We now have a technology which will allow a human being to control a simulator instantly and instinctively, using body movements. That is, the simulator motion system does not just exert forces on the body of a human being - it responds to forces which the human body exerts on it - directly, or in addition to the use of controls. Read more...

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