Parametric study of permanent magnet eddy current brake considering demagnetization, temperature, edge, and skin effects: Numerical and experimental investigation

Abstract

This paper presents an improved mathematical model and parametric analysis of the developed model for the eddy current brake system using the finite element method. The analytical model is developed to consider terms such as temperature, skin, edge, and demagnetization effects that are neglected in the simplified models of other studies conducted in the literature review. Also, the presented mathematical model has been validated experimentally. In the performance parametric study, the variables related to the rotor and stator, including initial speed, material, diameter, thickness, and moment of inertia of the disk, as well as the position, number, and arrangement of permanent magnets, were investigated. The results of the numerical analysis of the improved model compared to the simple basic model show that the newly developed model is much closer to the experimental study results in terms of the braking torque trend than the simplified model, and its initial and maximum values are 3 and 4 percent more consistent, respectively. Also, the parametric analysis results show that an aluminum disc is better than other selected materials, and increasing the disk’s radius produces more braking torque than increasing its thickness. In the case of the stator, to obtain the maximum amount of braking torque, the best arrangement of permanent magnets is to utilize them on a double side, to use smaller and more magnets than larger and fewer magnets, and to locate them at a distance from the edge of the disk.