P.P.

SAVANI SCHOOL
ANKLESHWAR

SESSION:2023-24
Physics Project
TOPIC:-
Eddy current and its applications

Submitted by-
Name: Deepak.B.Choudhary
Class:12th Science B
Roll No:
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my special thanks of
gratitude to my Physics teacher, Mr. Naveen Jha
sir as well as our principal, Mr. Subhash Sir who
gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on the topic- Eddy current
and it’s applications.
I am also indebted to my family and friends for
their invaluable support and advise which
helped me to do this project with given time
frame.
 Index

S.no Topic
1) Objective
2) Introduction
2.1) What is eddy current?
2.2) History of eddy current
2.3) How is eddy current produced?
3) Theory
3.1) Properties of eddy current
3.2) Applications of eddy current
3.3) Eddy current test
3.4) What is eddy current loss?
3.5) How to reduce eddy current loss?
4) Experiments
4.1) Experiment 1 for demonstrating eddy current
4.2) Experiment 2 for demonstrating eddy current
5) Bibliography
 Objective
Eddy current and its application

Introduction
What is Eddy current?
Eddy currents are currents that move through conductors like
the whirling eddies in a stream. They flow in closed loops
perpendicular to the magnetic field’s plane and are produced by
shifting magnetic fields. Eddy currents are caused by changes in
the strength or direction of a magnetic field experienced by a
conductor, which can happen when the conductor is travelling
through a magnetic field or when the magnetic field around a
stationary conductor is changing. The amount of the eddy
current is inversely proportional to the conductor’s resistivity
and directly related to the magnetic field’s strength, the loop’s
area, and the rate at which the flux is changing. Eddy currents
create their own magnetic fields just like any other current that
flows through a conductor. According to Lenz’s Law, the
magnetic field produced by a magnetically induced current, such
as an eddy current, will oppose the change in magnetic field that
caused it. Eddy current braking, a widely used technique for
halting rotating power tools and rollercoasters, takes advantage
of this resistance produced by the opposing magnetic fields.

History of eddy current:

Eddy currents were originally observed in 1824 by François
Arago, the 25th Prime Minister of France and a
mathematician, scientist, and astronomer. 1824. He was the
first to see the rotational magnetism, and he understood that
most conductive items could be made magnetic. Ten years
later, Heinrich Lenz published the Lenz law, but it wasn’t
until 1855 that Léon Foucault, a French physicist, made the
formal discovery of eddy currents. He conducted several
experiments and came to the conclusion that when the rim
of a copper disc is placed between the poles of a magnet, the
force required to rotate it increases ( like a horseshoe
magnet). The disc heated up as a result of these induced eddy
currents.

How is eddy current produced?

When a conductor moves through a magnetic field or when
the magnetic field around a stationary conductor is altered,
eddy currents are produced. As a result, anytime a conductor
experiences a change in the strength or direction of a
magnetic field, eddy currents may be produced.

Like swirling eddies in a stream, eddy currents move through

conductors and are frequently created in reaction to a changing
magnetic field. They are caused by shifting magnetic fields to
flow in closed loops that are perpendicular to the magnetic field
plane. Also known as Foucault’s Currents, these. Lenz’s Law
states that the direction of an induced current will be similar to
an eddy current in that the magnetic field it generates will
oppose the change in the magnetic field that generated it. Within
a conductor, this requires the motion of electrons in a plane
perpendicular to the magnetic field. The eddy current’s strength
is:

 proportionate to the magnetic field’s strength

 proportionate to the loop’s surface area
 related to how quickly the magnetic flux changes
 oppositely related to the resistivity

Eddy current results in energy loss in a conductor because it has

a tendency to oppose changes in the magnetic field that produce
it. devices convert electrical or kinetic energy—two types of
energy—into heat. We use the resistance produced by the
opposing magnetic field to generate eddy currents for braking in
order to stop rotating power tools and rollercoasters.

Theory
Properties of eddy current:

Eddy current has the following properties:

 These only occur inside of conducting
materials.
 Defects like cracks, corrosion, sharp edges,
etc. deform them.
 The intensity of eddy currents increases at
the surface and decreases with depth.

Applications of eddy current:

1)Magnetic levitation
Modern high-speed Maglev trains use this repulsive type of levitation to
ensure frictionless transportation. Eddy currents are created on the
stationary conducting sheet over which the train levitates by the
shifting magnetic flux produced by a superconducting magnet mounted
on the running train. Eddy currents and the magnetic field combine to
create levitational forces.

2)Hyperthermia Cancer Treatment

Eddy current heating is used for tissue heating during hyperthermia
cancer treatment. proximal wire windings coupled to a capacitor to
create a tank circuit, which is connected to a radio frequency source,
cause eddy currents in the conducting tubings.

3)Train braking
Eddy currents are produced in the wheels when the brakes apply
pressure, exposing the metal wheels to a magnetic field. The wheels are
slowed down by the magnetic interaction between the applied field and
the eddy currents. As the train slows, the braking force decreases,
resulting in a gentle stopping action. The stronger the effect, the faster
the wheels spin.

4)Rollercoaster breaking
A series of strong, permanent magnets permanently install at the end
of the track of a rollercoaster ride. As the cars speed by, these magnets
create eddy currents in the metal components affixed on the sides of
the vehicles. Up until the very end of the trip, the cars travel freely
around the track before the brakes engage and the magnets collide with
the metal.

5)Induction heating or Induction furnance

With the aid of a high frequency electromagnet and eddy currents, a
conducting body is heated electrically through the process of induction
heating. Its primary uses include induction cooking, melting metals in
an induction furnace, welding, brazing, and other processes.
Large eddy currents are created in magnetic fields that are rapidly
changing because of the strong emf that is produced. Temperature is
created by eddy currents. As a result, a high temperature is produced.
Therefore, a coil is wrapped around a constituent metal that is set in a
magnetic field that is produced by a high frequency and is highly
oscillating. The metal will melt at the generated temperature. Metals
are extracted from ores using this method. By melting the metals in an
induction furnace at a very high temperature, alloys can be created.

6)Electromagnetic damping
Deadbeat galvanometers are created via electromagnetic damping.
Before the needle settles, it often oscillates a little bit around its
equilibrium point. The coil is wound around a metallic frame that is not
magnetic to prevent the delay in reading acquisition caused by this. As
the coil is deflected, eddy currents form in the metallic frame, which
causes the needle to come to rest very immediately. So, the “coil is
dampened” in its motion. A fixed core of nonmagnetic metallic material
is used in some galvanometers. Eddy currents produced in the coil’s
core oppose the motion of the coil as it oscillates, bringing the coil to a
stop.

7)Speedometers
These currents are used to determine a vehicle’s speed. A magnet that
continuously rotates in accordance with the speed of our car makes up
a speedometer. In the drum, eddy currents are generated. The pointer
attached to the drum indicates the speed of the vehicle as the drum
rotates in the direction of the magnet’s rotation.

Eddy current test:

What is eddy current testing?

Eddy current testing is one of several non-destructive testing
methods that uses the electromagnetism principle for flaw
detection in conductive materials. A specially designed coil
energised with an alternating-current is placed in proximity to
the test surface, generating a changing magnetic field that
interacts with the test-part and produces eddy currents in the
vicinity(the state of being near or close by).
Variations in the changing phases and magnitude of these eddy
currents are then monitored through the use of a receiver-coil
or by measuring changes to the alternate current flowing in the
primary excitation-coil.
The electrical conductivity variations, the magnetic permeability
of the test-part, or the presence of any discontinuities, will
cause a change in the eddy current and a corresponding change
in phases and amplitude of the measured current. The changes
are shown on a screen and are interpreted to identify defects.

Uses of eddy current test:

Eddy current test is used to detect the following:
1)Crack detection:
Equipment for detecting eddy current cracks can be categorised as high
frequency instruments for ferrous and non-ferrous materials that have
surface-breaking cracks and low frequency instruments for non-ferrous
materials that have subterranean cracks.

2)Tube and wiring test:

Eddy current test systems that can inspect tube, bar, and wire at 3 m/s
have been developed. The test installation automatically starts when
the operator calibrates the device using a tube or wire with known
faults, removing flawed products from the production line or painting
them with paint.

3)Material sorting:
The approach delivers a better sample of material qualities than many
other material sorting methods, and more significantly, it is relatively
quick since eddy current fields penetrate beyond the surface of the test
material.

4)Coating thickness measurement:

Eddy current testing is effective for precisely measuring paint and
metallic coatings on metal surfaces due to its excellent near-surface
resolution.

Advantages and limitations of Eddy current test:

Advantages:
  Able to detect surface and near-surface cracks as small as
0.5mm

 Able to detect defects through several layers, including

non-conductive surface coatings, without interference
from planar defects

 Non-contact method making it possible to inspect high-

temperature surfaces and underwater surfaces

 Effective on test objects with physically complex

geometries

 Provides immediate feedback

 Portable and light equipment

 Quick preparation time – surfaces require little pre-

cleaning and couplant is not required

Limitations:

 Can only be used on conductive materials

  The depth of penetration is variable

 Very susceptible to magnetic permeability changes –

making testing of welds in ferromagnetic materials
difficult – but with modern digital flaw detectors and
probe design, not impossible

 Unable to detect defects that are parallel to the test

object’s surface

 Careful signal interpretation is required to

differentiate between relevant and non-relevant
indications

What is eddy current loss?

Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction states that when magnetic
material is exposed to a magnetic field produced by alternating current,
an emf is inducted into the core material. The magnetic material has an
electrically conductive quality, and the induced emf in the material
induces current flow. Within the substance, the current moves around.
And the EMF-generated circulation currents are known as eddy
currents. Eddy current loss is the name given to the heat that is lost as a
result of eddy currents in magnetic material.
Eddy Currents are the circulating current that the induced EMF causes.
Eddy current loss refers to the heat loss resulting from eddy currents.

How to Reduce Eddy Current Loss?

By lowering the current, we can lower the eddy current
loss. As core resistance rises, the current declines. The
core resistance can be reduced via;using flimsy laminated
sheets in the core
using silicon steel with a high resistivity as the core
material
Thin laminated sheets are used to create the core.
Electrical insulation is provided between two adjacent
sheets by the lamination on the sheets. The thin sheet’s
resistance is higher because its cross-sectional area is less
(R = ρL/A). Eddy currents are hampered by the high
resistance. As a result, current and loss are reduced in
size.
The use of a CRGO (Cold Rolled Grain Oriented) Steel
core is the alternative technique for decreasing current
and loss. Due to the greater electrical resistance of the
CRGO steel core, the loss is decreased.

Experiments
 Experiment 1 to demonstrate Eddy current
We have taken a pendulum having its bob in the form of a flat copper
plate. It is free to oscillate between the pole pieces of an
electromagnet. In the absence of any magnetic field, the pendulum
swings freely. As the electromagnet is switched on, the oscillations
of the pendulum get highly damped and soon it comes to rest.
This is because as the copper plate moves in b e t w e e n t h e p o l e
p i e c e s o f t h e m a g n e t , m a g n e t i c flux threading through it
changes. So eddy currents are set up in it which according to Lenz’s
law, oppose the motion of the copper plate in the magnetic field.
Eddy currents flow anticlockwise as the plate swings into the field and
clockwise as the plate swings out of the field.

Experiment 2 to demonstrate Eddy current

Now we have taken the pendulum of a flat copper plate with narrow
slots cut across it. As the electromagnet is switched on, eddy
currents are set up in the plate, but this plate swings for longer
duration than the plate without slots. This is because the loop has
much larger paths for the electrons to travel. Larger paths offer more
resistance to electrons and so the eddy currents are sufficiently
reduced. As a result, the opposition to the oscillations becomes very
small.
 Bibliography

 www.wikipedia.com
 www.twi-global.com
 www.shareyouressays.com
 www.instrumentguru.com
 www.scribd.com