The problem of reducing magnetic losses (no-load losses) in the steel of the magnetic cores of electrical machines is investigated. The tasc of determining the optimal thickness of steel sheets of the magnetic circuit of an electric machine is considered. The criterion for optimality is the minimum power of magnetic losses in steel. Currently, this problem does not have an exact solution due to the fact that the exact ratio of the hysteresis and eddy current components of magnetic losses in steel is unknown. Analyzed the power of magnetic losses in modern electrical machines and devices, depending on the thickness of the sheets of electrical steel. A method is proposed for determining the optimal thickness of steel sheets of the magnetic circuit of an electric machine based on the wattmeter method. In the course of the experiment, two identical magnetic circuits were selected from steel sheets of different thicknesses, for which the losses in steel were measured at different frequencies of magnetization reversal and the optimal thickness of the sheets was calculated. The proposed formula for calculating the thickness of the sheets is valid for both isotropic and anisotropic steel. The proposed technique can be used for both transformers and electric motors and generators.
