Plunger static characteristic

QuickField simulation example

Electromagnetic plunger works on DC current and consists of the solenoid with a moveable ferromagnetic plunger. Example is prepared by Olivier Colin as a part of the webinar QuickField analysis for Electromagnetic Plunger design.

Engineering question
How to find motion characteristics of electromagnetic plungers?

Engineering answer
Set up an axisymmetric QuickField AC Magnetics problem for an electromagnetic plunger actuator and evaluate motion characteristics from computed field results.

Typical applications
electromagnetic plungers, solenoid actuators, linear magnetic drives

• Download simulation files (files may be viewed using any QuickField Edition).

Problem Type
Axisymmetric problem of DC magnetics.

Geometry

Given
Relative permeability of air and coil μ = 1;
Current density in the coil j = 6 A/mm²;
The B-H curve for the core and the plunger:

Task
Estimate the force acting on the plunger for different positions of the plunger.

Solution
A set of QuickField problems is automatically generated by the Label Mover tool.

Result
Force vs. plunger position dependency: