The concept of a 'magnetic circuit' exploits a one to one correspondence between the equations of the magnetic field in a non-hysteretic material to that of an electrical circuit. Using this concept the magnetic fields of complex devices such as transformers can be quickly solved using the methods and techniques developed for electrical circuits.
A magnetic circuit is made up of one or more closed paths containing a magnetic flux. It generally contains magnetic elements such as permanent magnets, ferromagnetic materials, and electromagnets, but may also contain air gaps and other materials.
Some examples of magnetic circuits are:
- horseshoe magnet with iron keeper (low-reluctance circuit)
- horseshoe magnet with no keeper (high-reluctance circuit)
- electric motor (variable-reluctance circuit)
|
