A PIC microcontroller based electromagnetic stirrer

Abstract

A microcontroller based rotating magnetic stirring system has been developed in this study. A mathematical model is proposed to get electromagnetic field solutions. The magnetic stirring system consists of four-phase half-wound coils with phase currents of lambda/2 radian phase difference to achieve a rotating magnetic field. During the application, the liquid to be stirred is placed on the stirrer in a beaker and a magnetic stir bar in the form of a magnet rod is dipped in. The magnetic stir bar, influenced by the magnetic field supplied by the system, stirs the liquid rotating around the center of the rotational field. An adjustment of the frequencies of the voltage applied to these coils is done through a supply circuit with a developed PIC microcontroller. Within the scope of this study, operating principle and the mathematical model of the rotating magnetic stirring system have been discussed. Experimental results for the initial prototype are also presented in detail. Furthermore, parameter optimization for the stirrer is performed.