Computational technique for eddy current driven actuator

The magnetic analysis of a new class of eddy-current driven impulse actuators is considered. Driven by capacitor discharge, these actuators generate synchronized force pulses in excess of 100 kN with under 1 kN of recoil force transmitted too the positioner. This technology is being applied to low-payload industrial robots and mechanical impact deicing of aircraft lead edges. These applications are difficult to duplicate experimentally, so there is a demand for computer simulation. The high speed and transient motion of these actuators result in a significant but not constant contribution from velocity-coupled Faraday terms that is not accounted for in conventional finite-element simulation routines. A new computational technique is presented and verified experimentally.< >