Calculating on-axis elements of a solenoid

In summary, the conversation discusses the difficulty in modeling the magnetic field produced by a solenoid. Two equations were tested, but both produced inaccurate results. The concept of on-axis and off-axis elements is also explained, as well as possible equations that could be used to model the magnetic field.
  • #1
eigenstaytes
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I wanted to mention that this solenoid has many winds over many layers. The thickness of the windings is 2.4 inches coming off of the engineering schematics, and has many many many turns, which is unknown. It has a 6T field at the zeroth point on-axis.

I'm doing research with a professor and I'm tasked with calculating the magnetic field produced by a solenoid. I have the measured values from the solenoid from the engineering company that made it. However, I have to make a model for it, though the model isn't coming out right. I've tried 2 separate equations, and they all decay too fast to be useful for my model. These are the two equations that I used. The way that I fit these models, as the number of turns in the coil is unknown, and using the impedance wasn't producing the correct result, was by fitting the point at z = 0 to the known value of z = 0. Therefore it was starting at the right point.

[itex]B_{z}=\frac{1}{2}\mu_{0}\frac{N}{\ell}I(\cos(\theta_{1})-\cos(\theta_{2}))[/itex]

[itex]\theta_{1}=\tan^{-1}(\frac{r}{z}) \quad \theta_{2}=\tan^{-1}(\frac{r}{z+\ell})[/itex]​

Where theta1 and theta2 are the angle that the on-axis element makes with the left end (theta2) and the right end (theta1) of the solenoid. These can be found via simple trig equations since they make right triangles. I is the current, N is the number of turns, script L is the length of the solenoid, and mu-naught is the permeability of free space. I got this equation from this link, though the plus was changed to a negative. I found out the sign was wrong after finding a few other powerpoints with this equation, which I don't have the link to.

This produced the following plot over all the points

EohTjFh.png

I tested a few of these points, and they're wrong. Off by almost a factor of 5, right where the values are most important. I got approximately 380 Gauss, but the actual value is about 1500 Gauss. The plot above is in Tesla, incase you didn't catch that, with the horizontal axis being the point along the z axis.

The next equation I tried I got from Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Standard Version, Volume 1 by Tipler and Mosca. The equation that they gave is the following

[itex]B_{z}=\frac{1}{2}\mu_{0}r^{2}NI\int_{z_{1}}^{z_{2}}\frac{dz}{(z^{2}+r^{2})^{\frac{3}{2}}}[/itex]​

Where r is the radius of the coil, z1 and z2 are the ends of the solenoid, though I made z2 be zero and z1 just be the negative length of the solenoid to make it easier to find my positions, and the other terms still apply. However, the following is the plot that I got for that one.

97v2227.png

This produced about 390 Gauss at the same point where it's supposed to be approximately 1500 Gauss.

Does anyone have any idea what's going on, or know of an equation to use to model the magnetic field that works? After this, I have to calculate the off-axis elements as well.

For clarification, this is what is meant by "on axis" and "off axis"

mXqNTV8.jpg
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
elements: On-axis elements refer to points along the z-axis of the solenoid. ie. The axis of symmetry of the solenoid. Off axis elements refer to points that are not on the z-axis of the solenoid. ie. Points that are not on the axis of symmetry. There are a few equations that could be used to model the magnetic field produced by a solenoid. One such equation is Ampere's Law, which states that the magnetic field is proportional to the current running through the solenoid and the number of turns in the solenoid:B = μ*I*N/2πrWhere μ is the permeability of the medium, I is the current running through the solenoid, N is the number of turns in the solenoid, and r is the radius of the solenoid.Another equation that could be used is the Biot-Savart Law, which states that the magnetic field is proportional to the current running through a wire and the distance between the wire and the point at which the magnetic field is being measured:B = μ*I/(2πr)Where μ is the permeability of the medium, I is the current running through the wire, and r is the distance between the wire and the point at which the magnetic field is being measured.For off-axis elements, the equation can be more complicated, as it requires taking into account the angle between the wire and the point at which the magnetic field is being measured, as well as the direction of the current flowing through the wire. It can be expressed as follows:B = μ*I/(2πr) * (cos(θ)* sin(ϕ) - sin(θ)* cos(ϕ))Where μ is the permeability of the medium, I is the current running through the wire, r is the distance between the wire and the point at which the magnetic field is being measured, θ is the angle between the wire and the point at which the magnetic field is being measured, and ϕ is the angle between the direction of the current flowing through the wire and the point at which the magnetic field is being measured.
 

1. What is a solenoid?

A solenoid is a coil of wire that produces a magnetic field when an electric current is passed through it.

2. How do you calculate the on-axis elements of a solenoid?

The on-axis elements of a solenoid can be calculated using the formula B = u0 nI, where B is the magnetic field strength, u0 is the permeability of free space, n is the number of turns per unit length of the solenoid, and I is the current passing through the solenoid.

3. What is the significance of calculating the on-axis elements of a solenoid?

Calculating the on-axis elements of a solenoid helps in understanding the strength and direction of the magnetic field produced by the solenoid, which is important in various applications such as electromagnets and inductors.

4. What factors can affect the on-axis elements of a solenoid?

The on-axis elements of a solenoid can be affected by factors such as the number of turns of wire in the coil, the current passing through the coil, and the permeability of the material inside the solenoid.

5. Can the on-axis elements of a solenoid be used to calculate the magnetic field at any point inside the solenoid?

No, the on-axis elements of a solenoid only give an accurate calculation of the magnetic field strength at points on the central axis of the solenoid. For points outside of the central axis, more complex calculations are required.

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