Deterministic electromagnetic simulation for rotating permanent magnets and stationary coils
Spinning Magnets Lab is a scientific simulator developed to study how rotating permanent magnets interact with stationary coils. The main objective is not visual novelty, but physically interpretable prediction: magnetic field distribution, coil flux, flux linkage, and induced voltage should emerge from a clear and auditable computational chain.
The project is designed as a virtual laboratory instrument. It is intended for engineers, researchers, experimenters, and technically curious users who want to inspect electromagnetic behavior with the same mindset used for real measurement systems: clear assumptions, explicit units, deterministic results, and transparent numerical methods.
The software exists to answer a focused class of questions:
This makes the simulator useful for conceptual generator studies, flux visualization, coil placement comparison, solver benchmarking, and scientific documentation.
Spinning Magnets Lab follows a physics-first development philosophy. The simulator should remain understandable and reproducible, which means every major computational step should have a clear owner and a defensible physical interpretation.
At its current foundation, the simulator models a rotor carrying permanent magnets and a stator region containing one or more coils. From that machine description it computes derived geometry, evaluates the magnetic field, samples the field over the coil aperture, and derives electrical quantities from the resulting flux linkage.
| Domain | What is represented |
|---|---|
| Geometry | Disc radius, slot count, magnet placement, coil placement, orientation, and working plane positions |
| Field solving | Magnetic flux density vector
B(x,y,z) from the currently selected magnet model |
| Flux integration | Surface integration of B · n over the coil aperture using deterministic quadrature |
| Induction | Flux linkage history and induced voltage derived from time change of linkage |
| Instruments | Probe readout, coil prediction table, scope traces, performance diagnostics, and solver comparison metrics |
The simulator is based on standard electromagnetic concepts used in classical engineering analysis. These include the magnetic field of permanent magnets, magnetic flux through a finite surface, flux linkage of a multi-turn coil, and Faraday’s law of induction.
Φ = ∬ (B · n) dA over the coil surface.λ = NΦ for a coil with N turns.V = -dλ/dt.This is why coil outputs are not guessed from simple proximity or visual overlap. They arise from explicit field sampling and integration.
Spinning Magnets Lab is intentionally built as a layered system. The architecture is meant to keep the simulator extensible without allowing hidden shortcuts. A new visualization can be added without changing the induction engine. A new field solver can be introduced without moving physics into the UI. That separation is central to the credibility of the tool.
Project intent, scientific philosophy, and documentation entry point for the simulator.
Open About →Formal equations, derivation notes, solver assumptions, and numerical method details.
Open Mathematics →File ownership, module boundaries, deterministic pipeline, and implementation responsibilities.
Open Architecture →Many simulator problems start when the codebase lets rendering, UI events, or convenience shortcuts silently alter physical state. Spinning Magnets Lab avoids that. Physics belongs to the engine path, not the presentation path. This matters because engineers need repeatability. When a parameter changes, the result should change for a reason that can be explained.
This is especially important when comparing field solvers, validating coil responses, or using the simulator to prepare real laboratory experiments.
This documentation is written for a technical audience. It assumes familiarity with at least some of the following topics:
Even so, the project also values visual accessibility. The simulator should help people learn by inspection, without compromising the integrity of the underlying model.
The simulator is strongest when used as a controlled prediction and comparison environment for rotating-magnet induction systems. It is not yet intended to replace full finite-element multiphysics workflows, nonlinear magnetic material solvers, or complete electromechanical load-network simulations.
Instead, its strength is clarity: a compact scientific environment where geometry, field structure, flux behavior, and induced voltage can be inspected in a way that stays understandable.