Can eddy current brakes bring something to a full stop? I thought the fin brakes in roller coasters are eddy current brakes, but isn’t there a physics limitation that prevents them from fully stopping the coaster?
In the real world yes-ish. In the case of a a roller coaster or car the eddy currents bring the speed to near 0 & the rolling friction brings it to a complete stop. The issue is an eddy current braking system can’t keep something at rest. That’s why the roller coaster has a physical brake to keep the ride in place when people are getting on. There are other types of magnetic brakes/ contactless brakes, I just don’t know much about them. My company used the eddy current brakes to limit fall speeds to a safe level if a specific part fell during an emergency.
Can eddy current brakes bring something to a full stop? I thought the fin brakes in roller coasters are eddy current brakes, but isn’t there a physics limitation that prevents them from fully stopping the coaster?
In the real world yes-ish. In the case of a a roller coaster or car the eddy currents bring the speed to near 0 & the rolling friction brings it to a complete stop. The issue is an eddy current braking system can’t keep something at rest. That’s why the roller coaster has a physical brake to keep the ride in place when people are getting on. There are other types of magnetic brakes/ contactless brakes, I just don’t know much about them. My company used the eddy current brakes to limit fall speeds to a safe level if a specific part fell during an emergency.