Unit I

Magnetic circuits

Contents
Hysteresis losses
Eddy current losses
Introduction to permanent magnets

Hysteresis losses
When a magnetic material undergoes
cyclic magnetization, two kinds of power
losses occur in ithysteresis and eddycurrent losses, which together are known
as core-loss.
The core-loss is important in determining
heating, temperature rise, rating and
efficiency of transformers, machines and
other ac run magnetic devices.
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Hysteresis Loss

Hysteresis Loss
As the mmf is increased from zero to its maximum
value, the energy stored in the field per unit volume
of material is

Eddy current loss

When a magnetic core carries a timevarying flux, voltages are induced in all
possible paths enclosing the flux.
The result is the production of circulating
currents in the core (all magnetic materials
are conductors).
These currents are known as eddy-currents
and have power loss (i2R) associated with
them called eddy-current loss.
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Eddy current loss

This loss, of course, depends upon the resistivity of the
material and lengths of the paths of circulating currents
for a given cross-section.
Higher resistivity and longer paths increase the effective
resistance offered by the material to induced voltages
resulting in reduction of eddy-current loss.
Dividing up the material into thin laminations along the
flow of flux, with each lamination lightly insulated
(varnish is generally used) from the adjoining ones,
increases the path length of the circulating currents with
consequent reduction in eddy-current loss.
The loss in fact can be shown to depend upon the
square of lamination thickness.
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PERMANENT MAGNETS
There are three classes of permanent magnet
materials (or hard magnetic materials) used for
permanent magnet dc (PMDC) motors, Alnicos,
ceramics (ferrites) and rare-earth materials.
Alnico magnets are used in motors up to 200
kW, while ceramic magnets are most
economical in fractional kW motors.
The rare-earth magnetic materials are very
costly, but are the most economic choice in
very small motors.

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Permanent Magnetization or
Residual Flux Density (Br)
It is the flux density trapped in closed
magnetic structure if the applied
mmf (and therefore the magnetic
field intensity, H) were reduced to
zero.

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Coercivity
It is the measure of
mmf (or H) which,
when applied to
the
magnetic
circuit,
would
reduce
its
flux
density to zero, i.e.
it
would
demagnetize
the
material.
Its
value
is
negative and in

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maximum energy product

This corresponds to the largest BH
product, (BH)max, which is a point on the
second quadrant of the hysteresis loop;
It has the dimensions of energy density
(J/m3)
The operation of a given PM material at
this point will result in the minimum
volume of material required to produce a
given flux density in the air gap.
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