Electromechanical Devices

Magnetic circuits
Lecture 3

Magnetic elds
A permanent magnet
Is a piece of ferromagnetic material (such as iron, nickel or
cobalt) which has properties of attracting other pieces of these
materials.
A permanent magnet will position itself in a north and south
direction when freely suspended. The north-seeking end of the magnet
is called the north pole, N, and the south-seeking end the south pole,
S.

Magnetic field
Is the area around a magnet.
The magnetic force produced by the magnet
can be detected in this area.
The magnetic eld could be represented by
imagining the eld to consist of lines of
magnetic ux,

For different magnets of different strength, the stronger

the eld the closer are the lines of magnetic ux and vice
versa.
The strength of the magnetic eld decreases as we move
away from the magnet.
The magnetic eld is three dimensional in its effect.

The direction of a line of ux is from the north pole to the south pole
on the outside of the magnet and is then assumed to continue through
the magnet back to the point at which it emerged at the north pole.
The lines of ux always form complete closed loops or paths, they
never intersect.

The laws of magnetic attraction and repulsion

can be demonstrated by using two bar
magnets.
With unlike poles adjacent, attraction takes
place. The magnetic eld is strongest in
between the two magnets, shown by the lines
of ux being close together.
With similar poles adjacent (i.e. two north
poles), repulsion occurs.

Magnetic ux and ux density

Magnetic ux
is the amount of magnetic eld (or the number of lines of force)
produced by a magnetic source.
The symbol for magnetic ux is (Greek letter phi).
The unit of magnetic ux is the weber, Wb

Magnetic
ux density

Magnetic ux density is the amount of ux passing through a dened

area that is perpendicular to the direction of the ux:

The symbol for magnetic ux density is B.

The unit of magnetic ux density is the tesla, T,
where
1 T = 1 Wb/m2

where A is the area in m2

Example 3.1
A magnetic pole face has a rectangular section having dimensions 200
mm by 100 mm. If the total ux emerging from the pole is 150 Wb,
calculate the ux density.

Solution
Flux = 150 Wb = 150 x 10-6 Wb
Cross sectional area A = 200 x100 = 20000 mm2
= 20000x10-6 m2
Flux density =
= 0.0075 T

or 7.5 mT

Magnetomotive force
and magnetic eld strength
Magnetomotive force (mmf)
is the cause of the existence of a magnetic ux in a magnetic circuit
mmf, Fm = NI amperes
N is the number of conductors (or turns)
I is the current in amperes.
The unit of mmf is sometimes expressed as ampere-turns.
However since turns have no dimensions, the SI unit of mmf is the ampere.

Magnetic
eld strength (or magnetizing force),

ampere per metre (A/m),

where l is the mean length of the ux path in metres.
Thus
mmf = NI = Hl amperes (A)

Example 3.2
A magnetizing force of 8000 A/m is applied to a circular magnetic
circuit
of mean diameter 30 cm by passing a current through a coil
wound on the circuit. If the coil is uniformly wound around the circuit
and has 750 turns, nd the current in the coil.
Solution
H = 8000 A/m;

l = d = x 30 x 10-2 m;

Since
then, =
Thus,

current = 10.05 A

N = 750 turns

Permeability and B H curves

For air, or any non-magnetic medium, the ratio of magnetic ux density
to magnetizing force is a constant, i.e.
= a constant

This constant is 0, the permeability of free space (or the magnetic

space constant) and is equal to 4 x 10-7 H/m,
i.e., for air, or any non-magnetic medium, = 0

For all media other than free space, = 0r

where r is the relative permeability, and is dened as

r

r varies with the type of magnetic material and, since it is a ratio of ux

densities, it has no unit.
From its denition, r for a vacuum is 1.
0r = , called the absolute permeability

B H curves
Are magnetization curves produced by plotting measured values of
ux density B against magnetic eld strength H.
The relative permeability of a ferromagnetic material is proportional to
the slope of the BH curve and thus varies with the magnetic eld
strength.
The approximate range of values of relative permeability r for some
common magnetic materials are:
Cast iron

r =100250

Mild steel r = 200800

Silicon iron r = 10005000 Cast steel r = 300900

BH curves for four materials

Example 3.3
A ux density of 1.2 T is produced in a piece of cast steel by a
magnetizing force of 1250 A/m. Find the relative permeability of the steel
under these conditions.

Solution
For a magnetic material:
= 0r
r

Example 3.4
the magnetic eld strength and the mmf required to produce
aDetermine
ux density of 0.25 T in an air gap of length 12 mm.
Solution
For air: = 0r (since r =1)
Magnetic eld strength A/m
mmf = Hl = 198 940 12 10-3 = 2387 A