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A Novel Student Laboratory on Electromagnetic Induction, Magnetic Field Measurements and Shielding

T.Bilodeau, D. Hartle , R. Jennings, and T.Dawley

Electrical Engineering Technology Department 120 Nevaldine Hall State University of New York at Canton Canton, NY 13617

Abstract

This paper describes a novel laboratory procedure ( referred to as the Magnetic Field Effects Laboratory, or MaFEL ) that enables Electrical Engineering Technology students to gain insight into Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction, study AC magnetic field distributions , design electromagnetic field sensors for laboratory measurements and examine the effectiveness of various metals in shielding sensitive electronic systems against interference caused by stray magnetic fields. The prime benefit of MaFEL to engineering education is that it provides hands on learning experience in several critical areas of electromagnetics that are not covered in any other EET courses, particularly the field mapping and shielding techniques. The implementation of the MaFEL experiment , as carried out by the students, and the correlated analysis of magnetic field measurements that were made with a hand wound solenoid probe ( hereafter referred to as the “ B-dot probe “ ) under both shielded and unshielded conditions, are discussed in this paper . In order to illustrate the nature of the experimental data and analysis that is entailed by MaFEL , several graphs of magnetic field intensity that were measured with the B dot probe along the axis of a wire loop carrying an AC current of variable frequency are presented and their significance is discussed . In addition, the effects of enclosing the B-dot probe inside a cylindrical shield made of high permeability metal on the probe’s detection sensitivity are noted in order to illustrate the fundamental concepts of shielding low frequency magnetic fields . In closing, some potential industrial applications where the students can apply the knowledge and skills they derived from their MaFEL laboratory experience to solve practical electromagnetic systems design , interference and shielding problems are discussed and future plans for the continued development of the MaFEL procedure are noted.

I. Introduction

The ability to visualize the low frequency AC magnetic field distributions that occur in the vicinity of 60 Hz AC electric power generation and transmission equipment , such as transformers, rotational machines, switchgear and cable ; and to understand the physical factors that determine these fields ; are very important skills for an electrical engineering technician ( EET ) to have. This understanding of AC magnetic field behavior enables an EET to identify the most probable locations in an electrical system topography where undesired electromagnetic interference ( EMI ) may be inductively coupled from

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright @ 2005 , American Society for Engineering Education “

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Bilodeau, T. (2005, June), A Novel Student Laboratory On Electromagnetic Induction, Magnetic Field Measurements And Shielding Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14491