| Abstract |
Eddy current couplings are becoming popular
devices for speed and torque control. The Efficiency of these
couplings depends on the excitation level; thereupon, the route
and density of induced currents can affect it significantly.
This paper focuses on the design of a squirrel cage-type
coupling disc, which forces eddy currents to flow perpendicular
to both the axis of rotation and magnetic field lines. Lorentz
force and transmitted torque are consequently optimized.
The investigation is performed both numerically and
experimentally, of which results are presented for variable air
gaps and speeds. A comparison between plain and slotted disk
conductors, tested under identical set-ups, demonstrates the
effect of the proposed design on torque throughput and
efficiency. In addition to this, the influence of number and size
of slots and the effect of filling slots with iron are studied by
parametric FEA modelling verified by experiments. |
