How Do Eddy Currents Work?
Lenz’s Law Lenz’s Law states that electrical currents near a magnetic field will go in an opposite direction of the field’s currents. Inside a conductor, which is anything with moving electrical charges, the currents will swirl in a direction that is perpendicular to the magnetic field. These currents are referred to as Eddy currents. Opposing Forces Eddy currents are created when the conductor’s magnetic field is exposed to some sort of change, usually when the conductor moves into another magnetic field or when a stationary object enters the conductor’s magnetic field. The eddy current will be created in the opposite direction of the field’s movement, strengthening or weakening dependent upon the changing distance between the conducting object and the stationary object. The creation also spawns heat and kinetic energy. Using Eddy Current Resistance One particular use of eddy currents is with trains. Trains typically travel with a lot of inertia, making them difficult to safely break
