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Week 2 – Bonus Session – Electromagnetism

Fundamentals

Guillermo Ballesteros

Introduction

I- Electricity fundamentals
II- Electromagnetism fundamentals
III- Magnetic phenomena

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Introduction
This bonus session on electromagnetism and electricity fundamentals, for those not familiar with
this area, will explain or recapitulate the main phenomena.

I- Electricity fundamentals
Electricity is a phenomenon of electron circulation in a conductor. To produce this circulation, it is
necessary to apply an electric potential on the terminals of a conductor. The difference of electric
potential is expressed by “Volt” unity. Electric conduction can be compared with a flow of water in
a pipe. The electric potential is like the pressure that induces the flow of water.

The voltage potential gradient is at the origin of an electric field E. This electric field, like other force
fields, is at the origin of an electrostatic force applied on charged particles. This force generates the
motion of electrons.

II- Electromagnetism fundamentals

The movement of charged particles is the cause of a second physical phenomenon: the creation of
a magnetic field. That means any conductor with current circulation creates a magnetic field. This is
the case with windings used in electric machines.

Like an electric field, a magnetic field is at the origin of magnetic forces. It is easy to observe these
forces acting on iron, steel and magnets. The materials attracted by a magnetic field are
“ferromagnetic materials”. Ferromagnetic materials seem to conduct magnetic field lines.

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III- Magnetic phenomena
To study magnetic phenomena we must take into account two magnetic fields H and B.
1. H is the “excitation magnetic field” directly linked to the current circulation in a conductor.
This field is proportional to the current circulation in the windings of the machine.
2. B is the “induction field” that represents a concentration or density of magnetic lines. This
concentration depends on the magnetic properties of the materials of the electric machine.
This density is limited, and induction reaches a saturation zone if the magnetic field is too
strong

The two vectors are linked together with a relation of proportionality:

 B =  H = 0 r H.
o  is the magnetic permeability of the material
o 0 = is the magnetic permeability of the air
o r is the relative magnetic permeability of the material.

Ferromagnetic materials have a high relative magnetic permeability of above 1000.

These 2 notions are really useful in determining the evolution of magnetic energy in a magnetic
circuit. The magnetic energy is the product of the excitation magnetic field H and the induction field
B

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Energy = 1/2 B H

The magnetic energy is essential to understand forces and torque acting in electric machines. The
energy in the air is higher because the permeability is lower than in iron. Consequently, as systems
want to minimize naturally their energy, the flow of magnetic lines in the air is reduced.
Systems always try to find a state with minimum energy. That is the origin of the forces and torque
actuating in an electric machine. They move the mobile part of the machine (generally a rotor) to
find the minimum state of energy.

The last phenomenon is the induced voltage in windings when the magnetic field is evolving or
changing over time. There is a magnetic flux variation in the coils of the winding of the machine.
This variation of magnetic intensity produces an induced voltage. This induced voltage will create
an induced current if the coil is connected to an external circuit. In that way, it is possible to create
a voltage source and transform an electric machine in a generator.
When the machine behaves like a motor, the induced voltage is opposed to the voltage supply.

All these phenomena are very useful in understanding electric machine operation and basic electric
circuits.

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