Magnetostriction of grain-oriented electrical steel sheet under temperature gradient

Magnetostriction was measured in 3% Si-Fe grain-oriented electrical steel under a nonuniform temperature distribution with a 5 to 10 degreesC difference in a single sheet measuring 100 x 500 mm. A temperature difference of 0.2 degreesC/mm in the sheet increased magnetostriction four times as much as in the case of a uniformly elevated temperature. Compressive stress induced by nonuniform thermal expansion enhances magnetostriction greatly; this effect was analyzed by experiment and computer simulation. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.