Multiphysics Analysis of a High-Speed Eddy Current Brake

This paper presents the analytical-cum-numerical-based mathematical model for the multiphysics simulation of a high-speed unipolar axial eddy current brake (ECB). The operating principle and the necessary multiphysics simulation for an ECB are introduced. An analytical method is developed for high-speed ECB operation to search coarse parameters in the preliminary design technique. The model uses the behavior of the eddy currents on the plate during high-speed operation. A radial multiplier is incorporated to satisfy electromagnetic physics. The axisymmetric property of the disk reduces the disk geometry to an equivalent 2D domain where the estimated loss is defined. The ohmic loss from the analytical model is transferred to the numerical thermal model to evaluate temperature distribution. The convective heat transfer coefficient, which is a crucial variable in boundary conditions, is defined using the correlations between the Nusselt and Reynolds numbers. The steady-state heat diffusion equation is solved in the domain for three different speeds. The results show that the ohmic loss on the disk saturates and the temperature of the disk reduces during high-speed operations.