Designing a battery operated solenoid

[starcrossed]

I want to develop a solenoid for push application. the required push is around 5kg by electromagnet. We can use a combination of permenant magnet and electromagnet to optimize the design with respect to area and power consumption. For eg. the solenoid can push a permenant magnet also.

Actuall i had the following line of thaught...

i believe solenoids is small tunnel of coils that produce magnetic field when energised. by using an iron core instead of air, the power will increase. now if i connect a strong permenant magnet to the iron core such the magnet will experience repelling force from the solenoid, then the electric power requirement will reduce further.


The required stroke is of 1-2 inches by appling around 3 to 5kg force.

The electromagnet has to run on 6 volts, that is 4 AA batteries and consume around 200 to 300 mAmps. The dutly cycle will be 25% under normal operation

Can anyone please guide on how to build it?

Is there any website that can guide me on the design parameters of solenoids

 

[berkeman]

5kg is a lot of force to get out of 4 AA batteries... not sure you can get that kind of force out of a solenoid and only 300mA.


This intro page will get you started on solenoid design, and it has pointers out to other articles that hopefully will help you start to do some calculations of force:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solenoid

Also, to turn a solenoid from a "puller" into a "pusher", just add a non-ferrous piece to the rod, with the non-ferrous piece inside the hollow coil at rest. When you activate the solenoid, that pulls the ferrous part of the rod into the solenoid, which pushes the non-ferrous part of the rod out the other end. You could use Aluminum and Iron for the two parts of the rod...

 

[oswaler]

?

I would recommend considering the following design parameters for your battery operated solenoid:

1. Coil design: The number of turns, diameter and length of the coil will impact the strength of the magnetic field produced by the solenoid. A higher number of turns will result in a stronger magnetic field, but also increase power consumption.

2. Core material: As you mentioned, using an iron core instead of air can increase the power of the solenoid. You can also consider using other materials such as ferrite or laminated iron cores to optimize the design.

3. Permanent magnet strength: The strength of the permanent magnet will also play a significant role in the overall force produced by the solenoid. Consider using a strong permanent magnet that can be easily repelled by the solenoid to reduce the power consumption.

4. Power supply: It is important to ensure that the power supply, in this case 4 AA batteries, can provide enough voltage and current to operate the solenoid efficiently. You may need to use a voltage regulator or other circuitry to maintain a stable power supply.

5. Duty cycle: The duty cycle, or the percentage of time the solenoid is energized, will affect the overall power consumption. A lower duty cycle will result in less power being consumed, but may also impact the force and speed of the solenoid.

As for building the solenoid, there are many online resources and tutorials available that can guide you through the process. I recommend searching for "DIY solenoid" or "how to build a solenoid" for step-by-step instructions and design tips. Additionally, you can consult with other scientists or engineers who have experience in designing solenoids for further guidance.