Prototype Design and Testing of Electric Eddy Current Braking System with Flexible Braking Patterns

The function of the brake is crucial in an automotive. The conventional mechanical braking system has many limitations. In contrast, Eddy Current Braking (ECB) has several advantages. It can be employed as complementary to the traditional brake.With ECB, the vehicle’s speed can be decreased and with the mechanical brake it can be stopped. ECB can be employed for IC engine based vehicles as well as Electric Vehicles (EV). This paper discusses ECB and a hardware setup as a prototype is proposed. The arrangement consists of electromagnets and a power converter for the controlled establishment of flux. Design aspects of the braking system are provided. The tests are carried out and the results are presented. It’s observed that the braking profile can be controlled with the help of a converter. It’s observed that there are potential benefits of employing ECB in automobiles.