Please help with magnets

[Predtech]

Hi there, i'm new to these forums and i'm in need of some help regarding magnets. I'm working on a project with the saddlebags on my motorcycle and i have created a separate partition inside the first one before moving on to the second.

 

What i want to to is, if possible, have the partition held shut/closed by a regular magnet being attracted to an electromagnet that's NOT turned on. The idea i have is that when i run power to the electromagnet, it'll repel the regular magnet and open the compartment and when i cut the power off then the regular magnet will be able to be attracted to the electromagnet once again and close the compartment.

Is this possible and could someone please be kind enough to point me in the right direction for suitable parts for my creation?

 

many thanks

 

Rich

[Tres Juicy]

http://education.jlab.org/qa/electromagnet.html

[Spyman]

Is this possible and could someone please be kind enough to point me in the right direction for suitable parts for my creation?

I sounds as you need a battery operated solenoid, search the web for different models and brands that you can use.

[Predtech]

I know about battery operated electromagnets. I can find many that run off 12V which is what i need. What i'm trying to find out is, are their different strengths of batteries? If i get one battery that's stronger than another will it weaken/kill the second battery, or will it simply not disengage at all??

I presume by these 2 responses that what i am considering IS possible.

Thanks for this help guys, i was never very good at science.

 

Also, what is the opposite to a "holding" electromagnet?? I assume a holding magnet holds it's magnetic force after the power is cut?? If so, for how long? also, does it still hold it's force if it's not actually holding onto anything??

 

Thanks

[Spyman]

What i'm trying to find out is, are their different strengths of batteries? If i get one battery that's stronger than another will it weaken/kill the second battery, or will it simply not disengage at all??

There are lots of different batteries with different properties, connecting two very different batteries to each other might very well damage them both.

 

 

Also, what is the opposite to a "holding" electromagnet?? I assume a holding magnet holds it's magnetic force after the power is cut?? If so, for how long? also, does it still hold it's force if it's not actually holding onto anything??

There are many different types of electromagnets like pushing, pulling, turning or holding and so forth. A "power to hold" electromagnet is without a permanent magnet and therefore don't have a magnetic field that can hold on to anything without the electrical current. The opposite is a "power to release" electromagnet that have a permanent magnet built in that holds the load continuously without power and then the electrical current overcomes the magnetic field to release. The permanent magnet in a holding electromagnet holds on as long as a any normal magnet holds on, (which is very long), and has a magnetic field even if there is nothing for it to hold, just as any normal magnets.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Spyman

[Predtech]

I know about battery operated electromagnets. I can find many that run off 12V which is what i need. What i'm trying to find out is, are their different strengths of batteries? If i get one battery that's stronger than another will it weaken/kill the second battery, or will it simply not disengage at all??

I presume by these 2 responses that what i am considering IS possible.

Thanks for this help guys, i was never very good at science.

 

Also, what is the opposite to a "holding" electromagnet?? I assume a holding magnet holds it's magnetic force after the power is cut?? If so, for how long? also, does it still hold it's force if it's not actually holding onto anything??

 

Thanks

 

I apologize, what i meant to say in this post was are there different strength MAGNETS!! DUH!!!

But regardless, Spyman seems to have solved my issue. I hadn't heard of a "power to release" electromagnet but it sounds PERFECT for my application. Thank you Spyman, now i gotta go find one of those magnets!!!!