Chapter 1:Magnetic Circuit

Magnetic fields are the fundamental mechanism by which energy is converted from one form to another
in motors, generators, and transformers.
There are four basic principles dealing with magnetic field:
1. A current carrying wire produces a magnetic field in the area around it (basic principle).
2. A time changing magnetic field induces a voltage in a coil of wire if it passes through that coil (-
basis of transformer action).
3. A current carrying wire in the presence of a magnetic field has a force induced on it
(-basis of motor action).
4. A moving wire in the presence of a magnetic has a voltage induced on it (-basis of generator
action).

1.1 Production of Magnetic Field (Ampere’s Law)

The basic law governing production of a magnetic field by a current is Ampere’s law:-

.dl =Inet

Where is the magnetic field intensity produced by the current Inet, and dl is the differential element of
length along the arbitrary path of integration. In SI units, I is measured in amperes (A) and H is measured
in ampere-turn per meter (At/m). Inet is the total current enclosed within the path of integration.

Angle θ
Dl
Inet
Inet dl

Closed path of integration

Figure 1.1 Ampere’s law

. dl = H x dl cos θ

If the magnetic circuit is a simple rectangular core with a coil of N turns wound around one leg of the
core (Figure 1.2), all the magnetic field produced by the current will remain inside the core, so the path of
integration in Ampere’s law is the mean path length of the core lc which is essentially rectangular in
shape.
Thus lc is a fixed value which can calculated from the dimensions of the rectangular core. In such a case,
the vector H and dl will be parallel and the angle θ will be zero. The current passing within the path of
integration Inet will be Ni since the coil of wire cuts the path of integration N times while carrying the
current i. Thus,

. dl = H x lc = Ni , or

Hlc=Nί

ϕ ϕ
Rectangular core
i

NNtu
turns
Mean flux path lc

Figure 1.2 A simple rectangular magnetic core.

Magnetic Field Intensity H is a measure of the “effort” that a current is putting to produce a magnetic
field, where H is the magnitude of magnetic field intensity vector H.

H = Nί
lc

The strength of the magnetic field flux produced in the core also depends on the material of the core. The
relationship between the magnetic field intensity H and the magnetic flux density B is given by;
=μ Where μ = permeability of core material, in henrys per meter, H/m.

The units for magnetic flux density B are webers per square meter (Wb/m2), known as teslas (T).
Permeability measures the ease of establishing magnetic fluxes in a particular material. The permeability
of free space is μo, and its value is;

μo = 4π x 10-7 H/m

The permeability of any other material compared to the permeability of free space is called its relative
permeability μr . It is a simple way to compare the magnetizability of materials.

μr = μ / μo μr = relative permeability
μo = permeability of vacuum or free space or air
μ= μr μo
Ferromagnetic material (iron, nickel, cobalt, gadolinium, alloys of steel) have very high permeability -
allow magnetic flux to ‘exist’ within material.
Non-ferromagnetic materials (anything other than ferromagnetic material) have a very low permeability.
Usually, for simplicity, relative permeability of air and all other non ferromagnetic materials is taken as
unity (1).
Ferromagnetic materials used in electrical machines can have very high values of relative permeability
which will be between 2000 to 6000; the higher the relative permeability, the better the material. Cast iron
have relative permeability of 200 and some forms of nickel-iron alloys can have relative permeability of
100,000.

In a magnetic core as shown in Figure 1.2, the magnitude of magnetic flux density is given by,

Magnetic Field Density (B) = __Magnetic flux (Wb)__ = ϕ

Cross Sectional Area (m2) A
Thus,
B = μH = μ Nί Tesla
l
The total magnetic flux in the core due to the current i in the winding is

Φ = BA = μ Nί A Weber.
l
Magnetic flux in a magnetic circuit is produced by a magnetomotive force (m.m.f.) produced by a current
flowing through the coil. The magnetomotive force is analogous to the electromotive force (e.m.f.) in an
electric circuit that drives the current to flow in the circuit, and is equal to the effective current flow
applied to the core;

F = Ni Ampere-turns (At).
Thus,
F = H lc , or H = F , (as H lc = Nί )
lc
The magnetic field intensity is the m.m.f. gradient at any point in a field.
 1.2 Analogy Between Magnetic Circuit And Electric Circuits

A simple magnetic circuit. Electrical analogical circuit.

ϕϕ
i flux ϕ
reluctance
F N turns R
N F = Ni

Reluctance in core

Figure 1.3

1.2.1 Equivalent Analogical Electric Circuit Of The Magnetic Circuit

Magnetic Circuit Electric circuit

Magneto motive force (mmf), F or F Electro motive force (Emf), E or V

Flux, ϕ Current, I
Magnetic flux density B Electric flux density D
Magnetic field intensity H Electric field intensity E
Reluctance, R (or R) , F = ϕ R Resistance R , E = IR
Reluctance is a measure of the opposition to the Resistance is a measure of the opposition to the
“flow” of flux through a medium (core). flow of current through a conductor (load).
Permeability, μ Conductance, σ
R =_ l_ R=_l_
μA σA

Differences:
1. Flux does not “flow” in the sense in which an electric current flows.
2. Energy is lost or dissipated in the wires as heat when an electric current flows, but in a magnetic
circuit, energy is needed only for the establishment of flux initially.
1.2.2 Series Circuit
Rc

ϕϕ
i ϕ Fc
reluctance
N turns air gap Fag R ag
F= Ni

Reluctance in core

(a) Simple ferromagnetic core with air gap (b) equivalent electrical series circuit

Figure 1.4

A series magnetic circuit is made up of core parts which have different values of reluctances. The
magnetic circuit as shown in Figure 1.4 consists of a uniform ferromagnetic core with an air gap cut in
one leg. Thus the air gap will have a different reluctance value due to its different length and different
medium.
Reluctances follow the same rules as resistances in an electric circuit. The total or equivalent reluctance
of a number of reluctances in series will be the sum of the individual reluctances;

R eq = R 1 + R 2 + R 3 +…

Thus, in the magnetic circuit of Figure 1.4, R eq = R c + R ag

In such a series magnetic circuit, an equivalent of Kirchhhoff’s Voltage Law can be applied:

The algebraic sum of the products of the flux and the reluctance of each part of the core is equal to the
resultant m.m.f., or

The algebraic sum of the products of the magnetic field intensity and the length of each part of the core is
equal to the resultant m.m.f .

Referring to Figure 1.4,

FRE = FC + Fag = ϕ R C + ϕ R ag = ϕ (R C + R ag ) = ϕ R eq
= HC lC + Hag lag
1.2.3 Parallel Magnetic Circuit

a Φ1 b Φ3 c

Φ2

e
f d

Figure 1.5 (a) Shell-type core, a parallel magnetic circuit.

l1 = e→f→a →b , mean flux path for ϕ1

l2 = b→e , mean flux path for ϕ2
l3 = b→c→d →e, mean flux path for ϕ3

Φ1
R2 R3
R1

Φ2 Φ3

Figure 1.5 (b) Equivalent electrical analogical circuit

In such a parallel magnetic circuit, an equivalent of Kirchhhoff’s Current Law can be applied:

The total magnetic flux towards a junction is equal to the total magnetic flux away from the junction.

Thus, for the magnetic circuit in Figure 1.5,

ϕ1 = ϕ2 + ϕ3
1.3 Fringing

Figure 1.6 Fringing

Fringing is the bulging outwards of the useful flux as it passes from a ferromagnetic core into an air-gap.
It effectively increase the cross-sectional area A in which the flux passes through and thus reduces the
magnetic flux density. The longer the air-gap, the greater is the fringing.
As A is bigger in the air gap, magnetic flux in the air gap is slightly lower than the core.

B (air gap) < B (core).

Example 1.1

A simple rectangular ferromagnetic core similar to the one in Figure 1.3 have three sides of this core of
uniform width (15 cm) while the 4th is thinner (10 cm). The depth of the core is 10 cm. There is 200 turn
coil wrapped around the left side of the core. Assume µr is 2500, how much flux will be produced by a
1A input current?
R c1

ϕϕ 15cm
i ϕ Fc1
reluctance
N turns 30cm Fc2 R c2
F= Ni

Reluctance in core 15cm

15cm 30cm 10cm

(a) Simple ferromagnetic core (b) equivalent electrical series circuit

Figure E1.1

F=ϕR
Φ=_F_
R
F=Nί=200(1) =200 A turns
R=Rc1+ Rc2
Rc1 = _l1 , l1= 5+30+7.5+7.5+30+7.5+7.5+30+5 =130 cm
μA

Rc2= l2 _, l2 =7.5+30+7.5= 45 cm
μA
Rc1=___________1.3_________ = 27.6k AT/Wb
(2500)(4πx10-7)(0.15)(0.10)
Rc2=___________0.45_________ =14.3k AT/ Wb
(2500)(4πx10-7)(0.10)(0.10)

Total reluctance, R eq=R c 1 + R c2

= 27.6k + 14.3k = 41.9k AT/ Wb

Φ= _200_ = 0.0048 Wb = 4.8 mWb

41900
Magnetic flux density in part 1, B1= ϕ =___0.0048__
A (0.15) (0.10)
B1=0.32 Wb/m2 (T)
B2= _0.0048_
(0.1)(0.1)
B2= 0.48T

Example 1.2

A ferromagnetic core similar to the one shown in Figure 1.4 has a mean path length is 40cm.There is a
small air gap of 0.05 cm in the structure. The cross sectional area of the core is 12cm². The relative
permeability of the core µr is 4000 and the coil has 400 turns. Assume fringing in the air gap increases
effectively the cross sectional area by 5%.
Find:
i) Total reluctance
ii) Current required to produced flux density of 0.5T in air gap
i)
R =_lc_ , lc = 40 cm – 0.05 cm= 39.95 cm, Ac = + (12x10-4)
μrμoA

R ag=_lag _ , lg=0.05 cm , Aag= _5_x(12x10-4) + (12x10-4) =6x10-5 + (12x10-4) = 1.26x10-4

μoAag 100

R c =______0.3995_________ = 66231.7 At/Wb

(4000)(4πx10-7)(12x10-4)

R ag =__ 0.05x10-2________ = 315784 At/Wb

(4π x10-7)(1.26x10-3)
R T = 66231.7 + 315784 =382015 At/Wb
ii)
B=0.5T
F=Nί
ί=_F = ϕR = (BagAag)(RT) = (0.5)(12.6x10-4)(382015) = 0.602 A
N N N 400