Applications of Electromagnetism in Engineering
Key Takeaways
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Electromagnetism is the branch of science that studies the interactions of electric fields and magnetic fields on an object.
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Faraday's law is utilized to produce induced EMF.
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Electromagnetism can be applied to a variety of fields, including the industrial, transportation, communication, and medical fields.
Innovative engineering ideas have completely changed the world we live in; modern homes, infrastructure, automobiles, and wireless communication systems are all the result of planned engineering. These amenities make use of fundamental principles in various engineering disciplines such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, etc. For example, there are many applications of electromagnetism in engineering—power generators, electrical machines, and transformers all rely on electromagnetism.
What Are the Applications of Electromagnetism in Engineering?
Electromagnetism is the branch of science that studies the interactions of electric fields and magnetic fields on an object. The table below provides a few examples of where electromagnetism can be applied.
Applications of electromagnetism
Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction
Most of the applications of electromagnetism in engineering are governed by Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. According to Faraday’s law, EMF is induced and the magnitude is equal to the rate of change of the flux linkages when a magnetic field associated with a coil or conductor changes. The direction of the induced EMF is given by Lenz’s law, which states that direction is opposite to the cause producing the EMF.
Faraday's law is utilized to produce induced EMF in two ways: by moving the conductor or varying the magnetic field. The EMF generated by moving the conductor is called dynamically induced EMF. The time-varying magnetic field linking the conductor generates statically induced EMF.
To better understand how electromagnetism can be applied, let’s take a look at three common applications of electromagnetism in engineering.
Generators
Generators utilize the principle of electromagnetic induction to generate voltage. The construction of generators consists of two parts:
- Stators are usually designed as electromagnets, which is an application of electromagnetism.
- Rotors are coils that cut the lines of the magnetic field of the electromagnet to generate dynamically induced EMF.
Transformers
A transformer is a static machine that revolutionized the power transmission and distribution sector. In transformers, the secondary voltage is statically induced EMF. Electromagnetism is the basic fundamental that helps to either step up or step down the voltage in transformers.
Electric Motors
In electric motors, the application of electromagnetism is different from transformers and generators. Here, the role of electromagnetism is in the conversion of electrical energy to mechanical energy.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of the applications of electromagnetism in engineering—that list would be very long. However, we hope that this serves as a brief introduction to electromagnetism and all the wonderful ways it can be applied. For your next design, consider using Cadence software, which provides tools to predict the electromagnetic fields in your system.
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