2D semianalytical modeling of eddy currents in segmented structures

In the design of electromagnetic devices several numerical and (semi-)analytical techniques can be used to model electromagnetic fields and forces. (Semi-)analytical techniques, like charge modeling and Fourier analysis, are a fast alternative for finite element (FE) methods because of their relatively low computation time. Most (semi-)analytical techniques are capable of calculating eddy currents in a conducting slab without any discontinuities [1]. Material properties, such as the conductivity and relative permeability, are assumed constant. Modeling a segmented conducting material, e.g. a magnet array, means that these material properties will be varying as a function of position. In [2] the method of images is used to approximate the eddy currents in a segmented structure and in [3] boundary conditions are applied to the electric field to model segmentation. Modeling material properties as a function of position was described in [4] for non-conducting structures.