Improving the Force and Time Response of a DC Solenoid Electromagnetic Actuator by Changing the Lower Core Angle

Abstract

The aim of almost any electromagnetic actuator development is to increase the electromagnetic force with which an actuator acts on a plunger with as fast a time response as possible while maintaining the dimensions as small as possible. This paper presents research on the impact of the lower core angle on the force and time response of a DC solenoid electromagnetic actuator. The research method is based on the analytical analysis of the magnetic path of the DC solenoid electromagnetic actuator and a comparison with the numerical simulation results. A transient numerical simulation was performed on a 2D axial-symmetric model of the electromagnetic actuator and included simultaneously solving time-dependent partial differential equations of the electromagnetic actuator’s magnetic, electrical, and mechanical subsystems. The magnetic subsystem was analyzed by the finite element method (FEM) using the ANSYS Electronics software package. The three prototype models with different lower core angles were produced and tested in the accredited Laboratory Center of KONČAR Electrical Engineering Institute. The obtained measurements are compared with the analytical results and numerical simulation results.