How Can I Make a Small Electromagnet as Powerful as Possible?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the feasibility of creating a small electromagnet with dimensions not exceeding 8 millimeters in diameter and 10 millimeters in length, while maximizing its power. Participants explore various approaches to achieve this goal, including the use of superconducting materials and the implications of electrical input on performance. The conversation touches on theoretical and practical aspects of electromagnet design and application.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the possibility of having both a small size and high power in an electromagnet, suggesting that these characteristics are contradictory.
  • Another participant proposes using superconducting wire to carry larger currents, but notes that the size of the current would be limited by the magnetic field around the wire.
  • A suggestion is made to use a small puck of superconducting material like YBCO, which can achieve high magnetic fields, though this approach requires complex conditions and resources.
  • Concerns are raised about the risk of burning the coil if excessive electricity is applied to a small electromagnet.
  • One participant suggests a method of applying excessive current for a brief duration to avoid overheating while still achieving the desired magnetic effect.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the safety and economic viability of creating a powerful small electromagnet, emphasizing the limitations of small wires and insulators in handling high currents and voltages.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of creating a small yet powerful electromagnet. While some propose theoretical solutions involving superconductors, others highlight practical limitations and safety concerns, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations related to the size of wires and insulators, the risk of overheating, and the complexity of using superconducting materials, which may not be easily accessible or practical for all users.

Lunes
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Hello, i need a small electro magnet with it's dimension not bigger than 8 millimetre (0,31 inch) in diameter with a length under 10 millimetre (0,39 inch).

I want it to be as powerful as possible, where do i find such magnets? And how should i make my own?

How powerful is it possible to make it?

Could i just use a big battery and waste much electricity to the small magnet, in order to make it really strong?
 
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HI
welcome to PF :smile:

Lunes said:
Hello, i need a small electro magnet with it's dimension not bigger than 8 millimetre (0,31 inch) in diameter with a length under 10 millimetre (0,39 inch).
I want it to be as powerful as possible, where do i find such magnets? And how should i make my own?
How powerful is it possible to make it?
Could i just use a big battery and waste much electricity to the small magnet, in order to make it really strong?

for electro magnets, small and powerful is pretty much a contradiction in terms

you can have small or you can have powerful but not both

so what is your application ... ie. what are you trying to achieve ?Dave
 
davenn said:
HI
welcome to PF :smile:
for electro magnets, small and powerful is pretty much a contradiction in terms

you can have small or you can have powerful but not both

so what is your application ... ie. what are you trying to achieve ?Dave
davenn said:
HI
welcome to PF :smile:
for electro magnets, small and powerful is pretty much a contradiction in terms

you can have small or you can have powerful but not both

so what is your application ... ie. what are you trying to achieve ?Dave
Thanks :)
I try to make a force that will catch a metal pipe about 8cm (3 inch) away. I turn on the electro magnet, and the pipe will smash into it.

But it have to be small and pretty powerful... Is it possible to stream much electricity to a very small magnet, in order to make it as strong as a bigger with less electricity? Or is it any other solution possible for me?
 
Superconducting wire will carry much larger currents than normal copper wire but if it's tightly wound the size of the current will be limited by the magnetic field around the wire. The best approach would be to magnetise a small puck of superconducting material like YBCO. Fields as high as 17 tesla have been achieved.
 
A small superconducting puck (diameter approximately 25 mm) with a field of 17 tesla would not be easy to make. The puck has to be put inside a large electromagnet capable of generating this field and then cooled to a temperature of about 29 K or less to freeze the field lines in. The puck cannot be made of just YBCO because the field lines would blow the puck apart. The YBCO would have to be strengthened somehow by being impregnated with some type of resin. You would have to have a well resourced laboratory available to you!
 
Last edited:
Lunes said:
Thanks :)
I try to make a force that will catch a metal pipe about 8cm (3 inch) away. I turn on the electro magnet, and the pipe will smash into it.

But it have to be small and pretty powerful... Is it possible to stream much electricity to a very small magnet, in order to make it as strong as a bigger with less electricity? Or is it any other solution possible for me?
If you put in more electricity into the electromagnet you most likely will burn the coil inside of it
 
Lunes said:
Thanks :)
I try to make a force that will catch a metal pipe about 8cm (3 inch) away. I turn on the electro magnet, and the pipe will smash into it.
I'm not sure about "smash", but one way to operate a coil is to give it excessive current but for only a brief duration, so that before the wire begins to glow red the magnet has already performed its task and can then be given plenty of time to cool down. The enemy of electromagnets is heat.

What are the dimensions of your metal pipe? Is it steel? Is it stationary? Is it resting on a smooth, slippery surface? How much space is available for the electromagnet?
 
I don't think it's possible to do what you want safely or economically. It's easy to build an electromagnet with a battery and some wire and an iron core, and you can pick up paperclips and small pieces of metal at very short distances (almost touching). But if you want to scale it up to high field strength, you will have to scale up the size as well. Small wires can't handle the current required without overheating, and small insulators can't handle much voltage before arcing.
 

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