"Super High Strength" Solenoid? 1

[jensenb001]

Ok, new to the forum here - long time browser, first time poster... Anyhow - I'm an ME, so I'm not too familiar with magnetics, but I've been working on developing something and have hit a wall. All I'm trying to figure out is; just how 'powerful' can a solenoid realistically be made? By this I mean a standard 'plunger' type solenoid. The thing I've been trying to determine is how can I calculate the resultant force exerted on the plunger given a particular geometry, current and material(s)? I understand that this is a multi-faceted analytical situation, but is there any fairly simple methods by which to determine this? More specifically, I'm trying to decipher the feasibility of creating a solenoid that can exert a force of about 15000 lbf on a plunger of approximately 3" in diameter over a relatively short distance. Is this even plausible? I've heard solenoids can be made very strong, but have found none even close on the market. Is this because this is far too much to expect, or that few uses have been found for such a thing? I know electric motors can easily be made to produce such forces, so why not solenoids? And, if it is near impossible to do such a thing using a solenoid device, is a linear motor a better candidate as far as method goes?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

Bruce J.

 

[goinzer]

Can a solenoid coil generate even a few ft lbs (I guess 5-20 ft lbs) of torque on a 1" to 2" coil, using a steel or iron core (rod)for a stroke of 2" to 3", at a rate say 4 strokes (2 up, 2 down) per second, approximately, and adjustable by a rheostat or potentiometer?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Goinzer, please start a discussion of your own.

Jensenb, search for a (commercially failed) product of Joseph Lucas (inventor of darkness) called a "Helenoid". Basically, it's a short stroke solenoid with a helical gap, capable of fairly high forces and speeds within a relatively small envelope.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[israelkk]

Solenoid creates force not torque.