Cylindrical electromagnets: modeling, analysis, simulation and implementation

Purpose

This paper aims to present an accurate magnetic equivalent circuit for modeling the cylindrical electromagnet so that by analyzing it, the magnetic flux density in different parts of the electromagnet, as well as its lifting force, can be calculated.

Design/methodology/approach

The structure of the electromagnet is divided into parts that can be modeled by lumped element parameters. Mathematical equations for calculating these elements are presented and proved. The axial symmetry of the cylindrical electromagnet made it possible to use planar circuits for its modeling. To increase the accuracy of the proposed equivalent circuit, attention has been paid to the leakage flux as well as the nonlinear behavior of the ferromagnetic core. Also, the curvature of the magnetic flux path is considered in the calculation of the corner permeances of the core.

Findings

The magnetic flux density in different parts of the electromagnet was calculated using nodal analysis of the circuit and compared to the results of the finite element method. Also, a test bed was established to measure the lifting force of the electromagnet. Comparing the results shows a difference of less than 3% which indicate the good accuracy of the proposed circuit. In addition, due to the curvature of the flux path, there is a no-flux region in the center of the disk, the extent of which depends on the thickness of the disk and the diameter of the middle leg.

Originality/value

Magnetic equivalent circuit is a new contribution to analyze the cylindrical electromagnet and calculate its lifting force with good accuracy. The circuit lumped elements can be quickly calculated using mathematical equations and software such as MATLAB according to the actual path of the magnetic flux. Compared to other methods, the proposed circuit analyzes the electromagnet in a shorter period of time. This is the most important advantage of the proposed circuit model.