Parametric Study on the Effect of Pole Area and Radial Placement of Poles in Disk Eddy Current Braking Systems for Electric Transportation

Eddy current brakes are well known for their ability to quickly and smoothly bring down the speed of heavy vehicles. They are reliable, have minimal wear and tear, and offer contactless braking. These features make eddy current brakes optimal for application in heavy-duty electric transportation, including autonomous trucks. There are several attempts in the literature to improve the braking performance of eddy current brakes. In this work, a parametric study is taken up to understand and optimize the radial positioning of the pole, as well as the optimal pole area. The study is focused on an axial-flux disk eddy current brake. The parametric study is carried out using the finite element method. The results offer practical guidelines to optimize the design of magnetic poles in disk eddy current brakes, thereby improving their braking torque and braking performance.