Magnetic Circuits

Snehalika
Assistant Professor-I
SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL ENGG
 Module: 4
Time: 6 hours
 Basic terminology-magnetizing force, reluctance,
Permeance, magnetic field, magnetic permeability,
 Analogy between electric circuit and magnetic circuits,

analysis of series magnetic circuit, B-H curve,

 Hysteresis and eddy current loss, leakage flux,

Faraday’s laws of electromagnetic induction, self and

Mutual inductance.
 Activity: Problems on Magnetic circuit.
 Topics to be Discussed
 Magneto motive Force (MMF).
 Magnetic Field Strength (H).
 Magnetic Permeability(µ).
 Magnetic Flux Density(B).
 Reluctance (R).
 Permeance(G).
 Leakage Flux.
 Analogy between Electric and Magnetic Circuits.
 Composite Magnetic Circuit.
 Faraday’s law of Electromagnetic Induction
 B-H Curve
 Hysteresis losses
 Introduction
 Unlike electric field lines, the lines of magnetic flux
form closed loops.
 A magnetic circuit is a closed path followed by lines
of magnetic flux.
 A copper wire, because of its high conductivity,
confines the electric current within itself.
 Similarly, a ferromagnetic material (such as iron or
steel), due to its high permeability, confines magnetic
flux within itself.
 Magnetic Fields

Magnetic fields can be visualized as

lines of flux that form closed paths.

Using a compass, we can determine

the direction of the flux lines at any
point.

Note that the flux density vector B is

tangent to the lines of flux.
Illustrations of the right-hand rule
 Force on Moving Electric Charge

 A charge moving through a magnetic field experiences a force

f perpendicular to both the velocity u and flux density B.
 Force on Moving Electric Charge
 A charge q moving through a magnetic field experiences a force f
perpendicular to both the velocity u and flux density B.
 

where u is the velocity vector and B is a magnetic field.

The magnitude of this force is

Current that flows through a conductor are electron charges in motion so the
force acting on the wire with current in the magnetic field is

and in the straight wire of the length l crossing the field under angle
 Magneto motive Force (MMF)

 The electric current is due to the existence of an electromotive

force (emf).
 By analogy, we may say that in a magnetic circuit, the
magnetic flux is due to the existence of a magneto motive
force (mmf).
 mmf is caused by a current flowing through one or more turns.
 The value of the mmf is proportional to the current and the
number of turns.
 It is expressed in ampere turns (At).
 But for the purpose of dimensional analysis, it is expressed in
amperes.
 Magnetic Field Strength (H)
 The mmf per meter length of the magnetic circuit is termed as
the magnetic field strength, magnetic field intensity, or
magnetizing force.
 It units are ampere-turns per meter (At/m) .
 Its value is independent of the medium.
 Magnetic Permeability (μ)
 If the core of the toroid is vacuum or air, the magnetic flux
density B in the core bears a definite ratio to the magnetic
field strength H.
 This ratio is called permeability of free space.
 Thus, for vacuum or air,

B
  0  4  10 Tm/A
7

H
 Magnetic Permeability (μ)
 The flux produced by the given mmf is greatly increased, if
iron replaces the air in the core.
 As a result, the flux density B also increases many times.
 In general, we can write B = μH.
 μ is called the permeability of the material.
 Normally, we write μ = μr μ0.
 μr is called relative permeability (just a number).
Reluctance (R) and Permeance (G)
 The current in an electric circuit is limited by the presence of
resistance of the electric circuit.
 Similarly, the flux Φ in a magnetic circuit is limited by the
presence of the reluctance of the magnetic circuit,

1 l 1 l
R  
 A  r 0 A
 The reciprocal of reluctance is known as Permeance (G).
 Proof of Ohm’s law in Magnetic Circuit
Theory
 For a toroid, mmf, F = NI ampere-turns.
 Because of this mmf, a magnetic field of strength H is set up
throughout the length l.
 Therefore, F = Hl
 If, B is the flux density, total flux is given as
Φ=BA
 Dividing, we get

Φ BA B A A A F
     r 0  Φ
F Hl H l l l l /(  r 0 A)
 Comparing this with E
I
R
 We get
1 l
R 
 r 0 A
Analogy between Electric and
Magnetic Circuits
 Example 1
 Calculate the magneto motive force (mmf) required to
produce a flux of 0.015 Wb across an air gap of 2.5
mm long, having an effective area of 200 cm2.
Solution :
Φ 0.015
B  4
 0.75 T
A 200  10
B 0.75
H   597 000 A/m
 0 4 π 10 -7

3
F  Hl  597 000  2.5  10  1492 At
Composite Magnetic Circuit
 Case 1 :
 mmf of coil
 Total flux,  
total reluctance
F NI
 
R l1 l2

1 A1  2 A2
 Case 2 : (with air gap) Total reluctance,

l1 l2
R  
1 A  0 A
 Since the relative permeability μr (= μ1/ μ0) of steel is
very large (of the order of thousand), the major
contribution in the total reluctance R is by the air-gap,
though its length l2 may be quite small (say, a few
millimeters).
Steps to solve a problem on magnetic circuit
 Magnetic Circuits
Example 1

Magnetic circuit below relative permeability of the core

material is 6000 its rectangular cross section is 2 cm by 3 cm.
The coil has 500 turns. Find the current needed to establish a
flux density in the gap of Bgap=0.25 T.

06/25/2020 23
 Magnetic Circuits
Example 1
Magnetic circuit below relative permeability of the core material is 6000 its
rectangular cross section is 2 cm by 3 cm. The coil has 500 turns. Find the
current needed to establish a flux density in the gap of Bgap=0.25 T.

Medium length of the magnetic path in the core is lcore=4*6-0.5=23.5cm, and

the cross section area is Acore= 2cm*3cm = 6*10-4 m2
the core permeability is

 Wb 
core  r 0  6000  4  10 7
 7.54  10  3

 Am 

06/25/2020 24
 Magnetic Circuits
Example 1
The core reluctance is

lcore 23.5  102 4 A 

R core    5.195  10 Wb 
core Acore 7.54  103  6  104
the gap area is computed by adding the gap length to each dimension of

 
cross-section:
Agap   2cm  0.5cm    3cm  0.5cm   8.75  104 m 2
thus the gap reluctance is:

lgap 0.5  102 6 A 

R gap    4.547  10 Wb 
0 Agap 4  10 7  8.75  104

06/25/2020 25
 Magnetic Circuits
Example 1.
Total reluctance is  A
R  R gap  R core  4.6  106 
Wb 
based on the given flux density B in the gap, the flux is
  Bgap Agap  0.25  8.75  104  2.188  104 Wb
thus magnetomotive force is
F   R  4.6 106  2.188  10 4  1006 At 
thus the coil current must be

F 1006
i   2.012 A
N 500

06/25/2020 26
Coil Inductance and Mutual Inductance
Coil inductance is defined as flux linkage divided by the current:
 N N 2 Ni
since L   R
i i R 
from the Faraday law d d ( Li ) di
e  L
dt dt dt

When two coils are wound on the same core we get from the Faraday law:

d1 di di
e1   L1 1  M 2
dt dt dt
d2 di1 di2
e2   M  L1
dt dt dt

06/25/2020 27
 B-H Curve & Hysteresis
 The B-H magnetization curve shows how much flux density B
results from increasing field intensity H.
 Saturation is the effect of little change in flux density when the
field intensity increases.
 Hysteresis refers to a situation where the magnetic flux lags the
increases or decreases in magnetizing force.
 Hysteresis loss is energy wasted in the form of heat when
alternating current reverses rapidly and molecular dipoles lag the
magnetizing force.
 For steel and other hard magnetic materials, hysteresis losses are
much higher than in soft magnetic materials like iron.
 Hysteresis Loop: BR is due to retentivity (memory), which is the flux
density remaining after the magnetizing force is reduced to zero.
 Note that H = 0 but B > 0. HC is the coercive force (needed to make B = 0)
 Faraday’s Law
Faraday’s First Law: Any change in the magnetic field of a
coil of wire will cause an emf to be induced in the coil. This
emf induced is called induced emf and if the conductor
circuit is closed, the current will also circulate through the
circuit and this current is called induced current.
Faraday’s Second Law:It states that the magnitude of emf
induced in the coil is equal to the rate of change of flux that
linkages with the coil. The flux linkage of the coil is the
product of the number of turns in the coil and flux associated
with the coil.
 Self and Mutual Inductance
 When this emf is induced in the same circuit in which
the current is changing this effect is called Self-
induction, ( L ).
 When the emf is induced into an adjacent coil situated
within the same magnetic field, the emf is said to be
induced magnetically, inductively or by Mutual
induction, symbol ( M ).
 Magnetic Materials
In general, relationship between B and H in magnetic materials is
nonlinear.
Magnetic fields of atoms in small domains are aligned (Fig. 15.18 b).
Field directions are random for various domains, so the external
magnetic field is zero.
When H is increased the magnetic fields tend to align with the applied
field.

06/25/2020 32
 Magnetic Materials
Domains tend to maintain their alignment even if the applied field is
reduced to zero.
For very large applied field all the domains are aligned with the field and
the slope of B-H curve approaches m0.
When H is reduced to 0 from point 3 on the curve, a residual flux density B
remains in the core.
When H is increased in the reverse direction B is reduced to 0.
Hysteresis result from ac current

06/25/2020 33
 Energy Consideration
Energy delivered to the coil is the integral of the power:
t t d 
W   vi dt   N i dt   Ni d
0 0 dt 0

Since Ni  Hl and d  AdB

where l is the mean path length and A is the cross-section area, we get
B
W   AlH dB
0

And since Al is the volume of the core, the per unit volume energy
delivered to the coil is W B
Wv    H dB
Al 0

34
06/25/2020
 Energy Loss
Energy lost in the core (converted to heat) during ac operation per
cycle is proportional to the area of hysteresis loop.
 To minimize this energy loss use materials with thin hysteresis

But for permanent magnet we need to use materials with thick

hysteresis and large residual field.

Energy is also lost due to eddy currents in the core material

 This can be minimized with isolated sheets of metal or powdered
iron cores with insulating binder to interrupt the current flow.

06/25/2020 35