Airgaps in magnetic circuits

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Review on Example 3.2 (Lecture Example 2)

An airgap increase the required current by 3.4 times!

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Why Do We Need the Airgap?

In Example 3.2, 1 mm air gap has a reluctance that is more than

double that of the steel core of 500 mm long, because of different
permeability in the air and the steel core.

Reason 1: To use moving parts

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Why Do We Need the Airgap?

Reason 2: To maintain a linear relation between the magnetic flux

and the m.m.f and avoid saturation of the core due to the large
magnetizing current. This saturation may result in loss of induction,
loss of power energy, and other unwanted problems.

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 Electromagnetic Induction
(How magnetic field induces electrical current?)

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Relation between electricity and magnetism

Electricity Magnetism

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Relation between electricity and magnetism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwIdZjjd8fo

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Faraday’s discovery of electromagnetic induction

In 1831, Michael Faraday made the great discovery of electromagnetic induction, namely
a method of obtaining an electric current with the aid of magnetic flux. He wound two
coils, A and C, on a steel ring R, as shown in the schematic (left), and found that, when
switch S was closed, a deflection was obtained on galvanometer G, and that, when S was
opened, G was deflected in the reverse direction.

Later he found that, when a permanent magnet NS was moved relative to a coil C (the
schematic on the right), galvanometer G was deflected in one direction when the
magnet was moved towards the coil and in the reverse direction when the magnet was
withdrawn

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Electromagnetic Induction

• Static magnets/magnetic field does not produce any current, moving

magnets/varying magnetic field produces current à it is the change
rate of magnetic field instead of the field itself that produces the
current/electromotive force (emf)

• The faster the magnets moves/magnetic field changes, the larger the
!"
current/emf is: 𝑒 ∝ , where e is the emf (in the unit of Volt).
!#

!"
• The more turns the coil has, the larger the current/emf is: 𝑒 = 𝑁
!#

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Two ways to generate emf using electromagnetic induction

𝑑Φ
𝑒=𝑁
𝑑𝑡

1. Changing the current through the coils of electromagnets à

Transformer

2. Movement: moving the magnets or coils à power generator

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Lenz’s Law – To Determine the Direction of the Electromagnetic Induction

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Case 1 - Transformers

• Determine the current direction of the galvanometer when the switch is on

and off

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Case 1 - Transformers

• Determine the current direction of the galvanometer when the switch is on

and off
• At the moment of the switch being turned on, a
magnetic flux (primary magnetic flux) is
created within the toroid, or the magnetic flux
is increased from zero to some constant value

𝑒 • By Lenz’s law, the induced emf tends to

produce a current whose associated magnetic
flux should oppose the magnetic flux increment
à the induced magnetic flux should be
opposite to the primary magnetic flux

• The emf direction is finally determined by right

hand rule
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Case 1 - Transformers

• Determine the current direction of the galvanometer when the switch is on

and off
• At the moment of the switch being turned off, the
established magnetic flux (primary magnetic
flux) disappeared, or the magnetic flux is
decreased from some constant value to zero

• By Lenz’s law, the induced emf tends to

produce a current whose associated magnetic
flux should oppose the magnetic flux increment
𝑒
à the induced magnetic flux should help
primary magnetic flux

• The emf/current direction is finally determined

by right hand rule
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Case 2 – Power Generator

• Determine the current direction of the galvanometer when the magnet moves
away from and close to the coil
• At the moment of the magnet being moved
away, the magnetic flux going through the coil
decreases

• By the Lenz’s law, the induced emf tends to

produce a current whose associated magnetic
flux should oppose this decrement
𝑒
• The emf direction is then determined
by right hand rule

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Case 3 – How Inductors Work?

𝐿
𝑖

𝑒
𝑑𝑖
𝑒=𝐿
𝑑𝑡

𝐿 is the inductance; Symbol 𝐿; Unit: Henry (H)

Why is this relation and how to determine 𝑳?

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Case 3 – How Inductors Work?

• The current 𝑖 induces a magnetic flux

𝐹 𝑁𝑖
Φ= =
Φ 𝑆 𝑙/(𝜇𝐴)

• The direction of magnetic flux is pointing

left (inside the coil)
𝑖

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Case 3 – How Inductors Work?

• The current 𝑖 induces a magnetic flux

• The direction of magnetic flux Φ is pointing left
(inside the coil)
Φ
• If the current is increasing, Φ increases
𝑒 • The induced emf tends to produce a current
whose associated magnetic flux should oppose
𝑖 this increment à the induced magnetic flux
should point right à the current that the emf
tends to produce is opposing the current 𝑖 à the
emf that tends to produce this current is pointing
NOTE: the current the induced emf left
tends to produce does not exist
physically. It is a visualized way to
determine the emf direction. The
only current that exists in the coil is
the current 𝑖

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Case 3 – How Inductors Work?

• The current 𝑖 induces a magnetic flux

𝐹 𝑁𝑖
Φ= =
𝑆 𝑆
!$
Φ • The change of current à change
!#
!" !"
of magnetic flux à emf 𝑒 = 𝑁
𝑒 !# !#
𝑑Φ 𝑁 ! 𝑑𝑖
𝑒=𝑁 = 𝑆 = 𝑙/(𝜇𝐴)
𝑑𝑡 𝑆 𝑑𝑡
𝑖
𝑒=𝐿
𝑑𝑖 𝑁 ( 𝜇𝐴𝑁 (
𝑑𝑡 ⇒𝐿= =
𝐿 𝑆 𝑙
𝑖
• The direction of emf is pointing left
𝑒 (inside the coil)

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Case 3 – How Inductors Work?

𝜇! 𝐴𝑁 " 𝜇𝐴𝑁 "

𝐿= ≪ 𝐿=
𝑙 𝑙

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