VISHVESHVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

REPORT ON

“ EDDY CURRENT
BRAKE SYSTEM”
Submitted
In partial fulfillment of requirement for the award degree of
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
In
Submitted by
NAME :
RAMESH S RAMESH S :
4MG15ME035
Under the guidance of,
PROF PRASHANTH SIR
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING .GMIT

G. MADEGOWDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Bharthinagara, Mandya Dist. – 571422 2020-21

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 ABSTRACT

This is an electric braking system which works on the principle that eddy

current produced in it opposes the driving torque. This opposing torque is used to

brake the automobiles. Mainly this system is purely based on Faraday‟s laws of

electromagnetic induction and Lenz‟s law.

For operating this a control switch is provided on the steering column in a

position for easy manual. The skidding and complexity of mechanical braking system

can be minimized by this system. Also the wear and tear of the vehicles can

be reduced.

Since researches are going on to eliminate some of the disadvantages of this

system, we can accept it to be the norm one in a few years of time.

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 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

3. CONSTRUCTION

4. WORKING

5. EDDY CURRENT BRAKE IN TRAINS

6. BRAKING POWER CALCULATIONS

7. EDDY CURRENT BRAKE REQUIREMENTS

8. MOUNTING AND INSTALLATION

9. ADVANTAGES

10. DISADVANTAGES

11. APPLICATIONS

12. CONCLUSION

13. REFERENCES

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 INTRODUCTION

Many of the ordinary brakes, which are being used now days stop the vehicle

by means of mechanical blocking. This causes skidding and wear and tear of the

vehicle. And if the speed of the vehicle is very high, the brake cannot provide that

much high braking force and it will cause problems. These drawbacks of ordinary

brakes can be overcome by a simple and effective mechanism of braking system „The

eddy current brake‟. It is an abrasion-free method for braking of vehicles including

trains. It makes use of the opposing tendency of eddy current

Eddy current is the swirling current produced in a conductor, which is

subjected to a change in magnetic field. Because of the tendency of eddy

currents to oppose, eddy currents cause energy to be lost. More accurately, eddy

currents transform more useful forms of energy such as kinetic energy into heat,

which is much less useful. In many applications, the loss of useful energy is not

particularly desirable. But there are some practical applications. Such an application is

the eddy current brake.

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 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATIONS

Eddy current brake works according to Faraday‟s law of electromagnetic

induction. According to this law, whenever a conductor cuts magnetic lines of forces,

an emf is induced in the conductor, the magnitude of which is proportional to the

strength of magnetic field and the speed of the conductor. If the conductor is a disc,

there will be circulatory currents i.e. eddy currents in the disc. According to Lenz‟s law,

the direction of the current is in such a way as to oppose the cause, i.e. movement of

the disc.

Essentially the eddy current brake consists of two parts, a stationary magnetic

field system and a solid rotating part, which include a metal disc. During braking, the

metal disc is exposed to a magnetic field from an electromagnet, generating eddy

currents in the disc. The magnetic interaction between the applied field and
the eddy

currents slow down the rotating disc. Thus the wheels of the vehicle also slow

down since the wheels are directly coupled to the disc of the eddy current

brake, thus

producing smooth stopping motion.

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EDDY CURRENT INDUCED IN A CONDUCTOR

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 CONSTRUCTION

Essentially an eddy current brake consists of two members, a

stationary magnetic field system and a solid rotary member, generally of mild steel,

which is sometimes referred to as the secondary because the eddy currents are

induced in it. Two members are separated by a short air gap, they‟re being no contact

between the two for the purpose of torque transmission. Consequently there is no wear

as in friction brake.

Stator consists of pole core, pole shoe, and field winding. The field

winding is wounded on the pole core. Pole core and pole shoes are made of east steel

laminations and fixed to the state of frames by means of screw or bolts. Copper and

aluminium is used for winding material the arrangement is shown in fig. 1. This

system consists of two parts.

1. Stator

2. Rotor

Stator:-

It is supported frame members of the vehicle chassis. It has introduced

magnetic poles energized by windings. Current is supplied to the winding from the

battery.

Rotor:-

It is a rotating disc, which is fitted on the line of crankshaft with small air gap to

stator. When disc rotates a flux change occur in the section of the disc passing the

poles of stator. Due to the flux change there is a circulatory or eddy current in the

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disc around the magnetic lines of force. The effect of this eddy current induces „N‟

and „S‟ poles at the surface of the disc. Then there will be a „drag‟ or braking effect

in between eddy current induced poles and magnetic poles in the stator. By

changing current from the battery we can change the braking force. In this breaking

system kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted to heat and this heat is dissipated

through the rotating disc.

Total resistance of field winding

R = L/A

where, L = total length of field winding in meter.

 = Resistivity of the wire in ohm meter

A =the area of cross section of field winding in m2

Total no: of terms = total length /mean length of one term

The rotor is a rotating disc on shaft, which is placed very near to the stator

with small air gap (1 mm to 2 mm). Rotating disc may be one or both side of stator.

The two units have common ring member, poles cores on which winding are

provided being fixed to ring number. If a malleable casting is employed, then the pole

core could be cast integrally with the right. After fitting the windings on the cores,

poles shoes are fitted to provide pole faces of appropriate shape and area. The rotor

disc should be provided with properly designed fins for faster heat removal. The

magnetic circuits of the two units are substantially the same, non-undue and

thrust would be imposed on the motor bearings. Slight axial displacement of rotor

could however, cause quite appreciable discrepancy, the air gap of two units. The

effect would be to increase the magnetic pull in one air gap and diminish it on other

which could give to rise to excessive and thrust on rotor bearing to overcome the

inherent

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non magnetic and providing a continues pole core for each pair axially opposite poles.

This modification could possibly reduce the length of the combined pole course or

permits a larger winding length.

The maximum diameter of the eddy current brake is decided by

1. The spacing of vehicle chassis frame.

2. Vehicle floor clearance

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 WORKING

When the vehicle is moving, the rotor disc of eddy current brake which is

coupled to the wheels of the vehicle rotates, in close proximity to stationary magnetic

poles. When we want to brake the vehicle, a control switch is put on which is placed

on the steering column in a position for easy operation.

When the control switch is operated, current flows from a battery to the field

winding, thus energizing the magnet. Then the rotating disc will cut the

magnetic field. When the disc cuts the magnetic field, flux changes occur in the disc

which is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field. The current will flow back

to the zero field areas of the metal plate and thus create a closed current loop like a

whirl or eddy. A flow of current always means there is a magnetic field as well. Due to

Lenz‟s law, the magnetic field produced by the eddy currents works against the

movement direction. Thus instead of mechanical friction, a magnetic friction is

created. In consequence, the disc will experience a “drag” or the braking effect, and

thus the disc stops rotation. The wheels of the vehicle, which is directly coupled to the

disc, also stop rotation. Faster the wheels are spinning, stronger the effect, meaning

that as the vehicle slows, the braking force is reduced producing a smooth stopping

action.

The control switch can be set at different positions for controlling the

excitation current to several set values in order to regulate the magnetic flux and

consequently the magnitude of braking force. i.e. if the speed of the vehicle is lpw, a

low braking force is required to stop the vehicle. So the control switch is set at the

lowest position so that a low current will be supplied to the field winding. Then the

magnetic field produced will be of low strength, so that a required low braking force is

produced. 10
 When the control switch is operated during the standby position of the

vehicle, the magnet will be energized and magnetic field is created. But since the

wheels are not moving, magnetic lines of force are not cut by it, and the brake will not

work. However, a warning lamp is provided on the instrument panel to indicate

whether the brake is energized. This provides a safe guard for the driver against

leaving the unit energized.

When control switch is put in any one of the operating positions, the

corresponding conductor in the contractor box is energized and current flows from the

battery to the field winding to the contractor box. This current magnetizes

the poles in stator, which placed very near to the rotor. When rotor rotates it will cut

magnetic lines and eddy current will set up in the rotor. The magnetic field of this

eddy current produces a breaking force or torque in the opposite direction of rotation

disc. This kinetic energy of rotor is converted as heat energy and dissipated from

rotating disc to surrounding atmosphere. Current in the field can change by

changing the position of

the controls switch. Thus we can change the strength of the braking force.

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 EDDY CURRENT BRAKE IN TRAINS

In the case of trains, the part in which the eddy current is induced is rail. The

brake shoe is enclosed in a coil, forming an electromagnet. When the magnet is

energized, eddy currents are induced in the rail by means of electromagnetic

induction, thereby producing braking action.

EDDY CURRENT BRAKE IN TRAINS

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DISTRIBUTION OF MAGNETIC FLUX DENSITY

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 TYPES OF EDDY CURRENT BRAKES

There are two types of eddy current brakes according to the method of

excitation.

1.Electrically excited eddy

current brake 2.Permanent magnet eddy

current brake

1.ELECTRICALLY EXCITED EDDY CURRENT BRAKE

Electrically excited eddy current brakes are abruption-free method for

braking. In high-speed trains they offer a good alternative to the mechanical rail

brakes which are being used now a days. During braking, the brake comes in contact

with the rail, and the magnetic poles of brakes are energized by a winding supplied.

Magnetic poles of brakes are energized by a winding supplied with current from the

battery. Then the magnetic flux is distributed over the rail. The eddy currents are

generated in the rail, producing an electromagnetic braking force. This types of

braking need an additional safety power supply when there are breakdowns in the

electrical power supply.

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ELECTRICALLY EXCITED EDDY CURRENT BRAKE

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2. PERMANENT MAGNET EDDY CURRENT BRAKE

Recently, permanent magnet eddy current brakes have been developed for

subways, trams and local trains. These brakes need a mechanical actuator to turn the

magnets jn an on and off position. The main advantage of this type of brake is safety.

i.e. it does not need electrical power supply to energize the magnet.

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 BRAKING POWER CALCULATIONS

Sophisticated calculation methods for the determination of braking forces of

eddy current brakes are important for the design of the brakes.

For a simple eddy current brake employing a thin non-magnetic disc as

copper the drag or braking force on the disc

where

H = Magnetic field strength in Webers.

A = Pole force area in cm2.

V = Velocity in cm/sec of mean radius of disc under the poles.

T = disc thickness in cm.

 = specific resistance of disc material at its operating temperature in micro

ohms/cm3.

Torque = F * R Nm

Where R = mean pole radius in meter.

Power P = 2  NT/60 watts.

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 EDDY CURRENT BRAKE REQUIREMENTS

An eddy current brake is an energy converter functions is to convert the

kinetic energy of a vehicle into heat and dissipate it such a rate to maintain the

temperature of unit with in reasonable limits under maximum and prolonged braking

conditions. The energy absorbed by the brake is transformed into heat by the currents

induced in the motor, and this is heat manly dissipated in surrounding air through the

medium of suitable designed fins the rotating member.

In mountains area, continues braking force is needed for a long time (say

about half an hour), at this condition, eddy current braking is more suitable to

function without over heating. The use of these retarders is by no means limited to

mountain on country. They can be advantageously employed on public service

vehicles on city routes without frequent stops. But in this braking system there with

out be any braking force in the vehicle is rest. So the eddy current brake is used as an

auxiliary heavy-duty retarder. By using auxiliary retarder very smooth retardation is

assumed and likely hood of skidding on slippery roads surfaces is minimized. Smooth

braking action cuts down tier were and since brake is used as an auxiliary heavy-duty

retarder. By using auxiliary retarder very smooth retardation is assumed and likely

hood of skidding on slippery roads surfaces is minimized. Smooth braking action cuts

down tier were and since the conventional brakes are relieved of heavy duty being

required only to bring vehicles to rest.

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 MOUNTING AND INSTALLATION

A typical mounting of an eddy current brake consists of two discs in which

pole salient type, supported between the frame numbers of a vehicle chassis. Rotor is

coupled to road wheels being often mounted on a shaft that is interposed between the

gearbox and propeller shaft and stator is mounted on the frame of the vehicle.

The driver who can select one or four excitation settings according to the

breaking effect required mounts a control switch on a steering column in a

position for easy operation. In the operative positions of this switch 1, 2, 3, 4

contractors are energized to supply current to the excitation windings of the retarder.

Warning lamp is also provided on the instrument panel to indicate when the retarder is

energized. This provides a safe guard for the driver against leaving the unit energized

when the vehicle is stationary.

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ADVANTAGES

Less maintenance

Wide range of braking force available within the temperature

limit Prolonged braking is possible

Long life

Less strain to the operation

Smooth retardation, which cuts down, the tire wears

Eddy current brakes offer smooth retardation of vehicles without skidding. It

is totally free of wear and tear. So it has long life compared to ordinary brakes. These

need less maintenance.

In mountain areas continuous braking is needed for a long time. At this

condition, eddy current braking is more suitable to function without overheating.

By changing the excitation current to the field winding, i.e. by adjusting the

position of the control switch, we can vary the braking force to required range. The

operation of eddy current brake is very simple. i.e. the control switch is a soft switch

which can be operated without any strain.

Eddy current brakes works even under the toughest environmental conditions.

For example, in larger water slides and water coasters where the humidity would

immediately result in reduction of friction and thus impair the effectiveness of

ordinary brakes. It works even in highly corrosive environments and heavily

contaminated areas.

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DISADVANTAGES

No breaking force at rest

Need of electric power

The main disadvantage of the edyy current brake is that it needs electric power

to work. Researches are going on to overcome this disadvantage by making the brake

regenerative i.e. by converting the kinetic energy of the vehicle into electric energy

and storing it back into the battery.

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APPLICATIONS

For additional safety on long decants in mountain

area For high speed passenger and goods vehicle

Eddy current brakes are best substitutes for ordinary brakes, which are being

used nowadays in road vehicles even in trains, because of their jerk-free operation. In

mountain areas where continuous braking force is needed, for a long time, the eddy

current braking is very much useful for working without overheating. Eddy current

brakes are very much useful for high-speed passengers and good vehicles. It can also

be used to slow down the trolleys of faster roller coasters.

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CONCLUSION

Eddy current brakes are the best choice when demands for reliability and

safety are the highest. They work even in the toughest environmental conditions. Even

the strike of lightning will not result in the loss of the braking force.

Eddy current braking system is not popular now a days. But we hope that the

eddy current braking system which is simpler and more effective will take the

place of the ordinary braking system and we can do expect it to be the norm one in

few years of time.

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REFERENCES

1. Manual 1 Gonzalez, Volume 25,Issue 4,July 2004

2. IEEE Transactions on magnetics, Volume 34, Issue 4, July 1998

3. Analysis of eddy current brake for high-speed railway by Wang.P.J.&

Chiuch.S.J.

4. Automobile electrical equipments by Young &Griffith.

5. Automatic engineering by Kripal Sing.

6. Clutches and brakes by William.C.Orthwin.

7. www.reelectromagneticbrakes.com

8. www.lineareddycurrentbrakes.com

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