Eddy Current Brake for Vernier DTS Carts

thingiverse

Human: An Eddy Current Brake is a non-contact Braking System used in Trains and Roller Coasters. Magnets Induce Eddy Currents in Metal Rotor or Vehicle Part, Creating Opposing Magnetic Fields that Slow Down the Vehicle, Not Applying Friction like Traditional Systems. Chris Gaffney and Adam Catching’s Article "Magnetic Viscous Drag for Friction Labs" Investigated Eddy Current Braking in The Physics Teacher. Students Slid Magnets down Aluminum Ramp, Slowing them with Induced Eddy Currents. Trying Out Eddy Current Braking Seemed Natural as a Company Selling Aluminum Tracks and Magnets. We Designed a Magnet Holder for DTS Carts, Holding Up to 4 Magnets 2 mm Off the Track Surface. A Graph Shows Velocity of a DTS Cart on an Inclined Track with Eddy Current Brake or Friction Pad Installed. With Zero Magnets, Velocity Increases Linearly as Expected. The Friction Pad Curve is Linear but Shallower. The Velocity Curve Changes with Eddy Current Brake Installed. Induced Drag Increases with Number of Magnets, Showing a Different Nature than Simple Kinetic Friction. Four Magnets Reach Terminal Velocity in 4 Seconds.