System, electromagnetic actuator and track for braking

A track for an electromagnetic actuator, the track comprising:

• segments arranged along a movement axis, each of the segments comprising a solid ferromagnetic material electrically insulated from one another;
• low-speed regions comprising low-speed segments;
• high-speed regions comprising high-speed segments, and
• low-speed region s comprising transitional segments, a transitional region located between a low-speed region and a high-speed region,
• wherein the high-speed segments are smaller than the low-speed segments, and the transitional segments are larger than the high-speed segments and smaller than the low-speed segments.

A system for braking comprising:

• a track;
• and
• an electromagnetic actuator for braking, the electromagnetic actuator arranged such that the electromagnetic actuator moves along a movement axis of the track, with a gap therebetween,
• the track comprising:
• segments arranged along the movement axis, each of the segments comprising a solid ferromagnetic material,
• the electromagnetic actuator comprising:
• pole portions extending from one or more back-iron portions, respective longitudinal axes of the pole portions arranged substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to a common movement axis,
• wherein a pole pitch of the pole portions is selected:
• to induce eddy currents in the segments of the track, such that the eddy currents are present in a skin depth at more than one surface of the segments of the track when the pole portions are moving at given speeds;
• and such that eddy current generated losses occupy substantially an entirety of a volume of a segment below a given intermediate speed, and the eddy current generated losses occupy at least one third of the volume of the segment at a given maximum speed greater than the given intermediate speed, and
• electrical windings, wherein an electrical winding is around a respective pole portion, the electrical windings being individually controllable.