Determination of B-H curve

The two methods available for the determination of B-H curve of a ring specimen are,
1. Method of reversal
2. Step by step method
Method of reversal
The Fig shows the circuit of the determination of B-H curve by the method of reversal. It
consists of a ring specimen with known dimensions.
A search coil insulated by paraffined wax is wound over the tape put on the ring. Another
layer of tape is put over the search coil and the magnetizing winding is uniformly wound
over the tape.
After demagnetizing completely, the test is started by passing a very low value of current
through the magnetizing circuit.
With the galvanometer key K closed, the ring specimen is brought into a reproducible
cyclic magnetic state by throwing the reversing switch S backward and forward about
twenty times.
Now the key K is opened and the value of flux corresponding to this value of H can be
measured from the galvanometer deflection just by reversing the reversible switch.

Fig. Determination of B-H curve by the method of reversal

The value of flux density corresponding to this H can be calculated using formula,

Where As is the cross-sectional area of the specimen in m2

is the flux measured in Wb.
B is the flux density in Wb/m2
The above procedure is repeated for various values of H upto maximum testing point. The B-H
curve can be plotted from the various measured value of H and the calculated value of B as
shown in fig.

Fig. B-H curve

Step by step method
It consists of a potential divider with large number of tappings. The tappings are so
arranged that the magnetizing force H can be increased up to the maximum value in a
number of suitable steps.
Before performing the test, the ring specimen is completely demagnetized.
Initially the switch S2 is set on tapping 1. Then the switch S1 and the corresponding
increase in the flux density of the specimen is measured from the deflection of the
galvanometer.
Let it be B1of magnetizing force, corresponding to B1 can be calculated from the value of
current flowing in the magnetizing winding at tapping 1. Let it be H1, the magnetizing
force is then increased to H2 by suddenly switching S2 to tapping 2, and the

corresponding increase in flux density B can be determined from the deflection of the
galvanometer.
Flux density B2 corresponding to magnetizing force H2 is given by B1 +B. The above
procedure is repeated for various values of H upto the maximum testing point and the
complete B-H curve is plotted as shown in figure

Fig. Determination of B-H curve by step by step method

Measurement of iron losses

The three methods used for the measurement of iron loss in ferromagnetic materials are
1. Wattmeter method
2. Bridge method
3. Potentiometer method
Wattmeter method
Constructional details
This method is most commonly used for measurement of iron loss in strip (sheet) material.

 The strip material to be tested is assembled as a closed magnetic circuit in the form of a
square which is known as magnetic square.The two common forms of the magnetic squares
are
(i) Epstein square
(ii) Lloyd-Fisher square
Epstein square

Fig. Epstein square

Epstein square which consists of four stacks of strips that are bounded and then taped.
The individual strips are insulated from each other and each strip is in the plane of the
square.
The stacks are slipped into four magnetizing coils with the strips projecting beyond the
coils. The ends of the four strips are interleaved and clamped at corners.
Lloyd fisher square

Fig.Lloyd fisher square

This is the most commonly used magnetic square. whose strips are usually 0.25 m long and 50
to 60mm wide and built up into four stacks.
Each stack is made up of two types of strips one cut in the direction of rolling and the other
cut perpendicular to the direction of rolling. The stacks are placed inside four similar
magnetizing coils of large cross sectional area which are connected in series to form the
primary winding.
Each magnetizing coil has two similar coils called secondary coils. Hence a magnetic square
has eight secondary coils which are connected in series and formed in to as two groups to
form two separate secondary windings.
The ends of the strips project beyond the magnetizing coil and are so arranged that the plane
of each strip is perpendicular to the plane of the square. These four stacks are joined at the
corners by a set of right angled corner pieces, to form a magnetic circuit.
There is an overlapping of corner pieces and strips at the corners due to which cross section
of iron is doubled at the corners. Therefore the 1neasured loss should be corrected for the loss
in the corner pieces.
Principle of operation
The test specimen is weighed separately and its effective cross-sectional area is determined.
The Figure shows the connection diagram of wattmeter method for the determination of iron
loss.
One end of the primary winding is connected to a sinusoidal supply voltage through a variable
ratio transformer in order to apply variable voltage to the primary winding.
An ammeter is connected in series with the primary winding in order to measure the primary
current. The other end of the primary winding is connected to the current coil of the
wattmeter.
As the power factor of the test is as low as 0.2, a specially designed low power factor
wattmeter is used for the measurement. Two secondarys with equal number of turns are
wound S1 is connected to the pressure coil of the wattmeter.
The second secondary winding S2 is connected to an electrostatic voltmeter (or an
electrodynamic voltmeter of very high impedance).

Fig. Connection diagram of wattmeter method for the determination of iron loss
Initially the supply frequency is adjusted to a correct value. The voltage applied to the primary
winding is adjusted using a variable ratio transformer, till the magnetizing current is adjusted to
get the required value of Bm and the corresponding voltmeter, ammeter and wattmeter readings
are noted down. The electrostatic voltmeter connected across secondary winding S 2 measures the
rms value of induced voltage in S2 whose value is given by,
.(1)
Since m =BmAs

..(2)

where, E = rms value induced voltage in secondary winding S2 in V

Kf = form factor which is 1.11 for sinusoidal voltage
m = maximum value of flux in Wb
Bm = apparent value of maximum flux density in Wb/m2
As = cross-sectional area of test specimen in m
f = Supply frequency in Hz.
N2 = Number of' turns in secondary winding S2
Equation(2) becomes

.(3)

This apparent value of maximum flux density includes the flux density in the airgap between the
test spcimen and secondary winding along with the actual value maximum flux density in the
spcimen.
Hence,
Actual value of maximum nux density = Apparent value of maximum flux density - flux density
in the
air gap
Hence,

(4)

where, B =Actual value of maximum flux density in the test specimen in Wb/m2
Ac = Cross-sectional area of the secondary winding in m2
H = Magnetising force corresponding to maximum flux density in A/m obtained from the
B-H curve of test specimen.
The wattmeter reading includes the iron loss in the specimen and the copper loss in the
secondary winding.
Hence, Iron loss in the speci1nen = Wattmeter reading - copper loss in the secondary
winding..(5)
IP = Current. through the pressure coil of wattmeter which is proportional to voltage applied

to pressure coil of wattmeter

i.e. IP V
As both the secondary windings have equal number of turns,Voltage induced in S1= Voltage
induced in S2
Hence, voltage induced in S1 = E .(6)
By neglecting the leakage reactances of secondary winding S1 and pressure coil of wattmeter, we
have,
E =Ip (rp + rc) ..(7)
Total iron loss in the specimen + total copper loss in the secondary winding = PE/V ..(8)
Hence, equation (7),
Total iron loss in the specimen, Pi

.(9)

Since
.(10)
Specific iron loss of the specimen can be calculated by dividing the total iron loss by the weight
of the specimen.
Specific iron loss is the iron loss/kg.
Specific iron loss of the specimen = Total iron loss in the specimen
Weight of the specimen