Magnetic flux distribution and braking torque of a grooved eddy current brake

Abstract

Motorcycles generally require an optimal braking system, eddy current brake (ECB) can be used as an alternative to conventional braking systems. Design unipolar axial ECB with an electromagnet used in this research. ECB performance can be influenced by some factor, one of them is changing the form of the surface of a conductor. On this research will discuss the performances of the ECB when the form of the surface of a conductor be varied. Methods used are finite element method (FEM) to view the braking torque and changing magnetic flux, the design and the size of the ECB based on a conventional hydraulic braking system. A flat plate (uniform) will be a reference for comparison to see the braking characteristics of the ECB if the surface is given a groove. Groove variations include half-circle, square, triangular, and sawtooth, which will run at speeds of 150 to 750 rpm. The result on the half-circle variation has a different trend from the others, sawtooth has the highest average braking torque, while the triangular is lowest.