The fluxgate ring-core internal field

A large number of measured demagnetizing factors for fluxgate ring cores of a wide range of cross section shapes have been compiled from the literature and plotted against the core cross-sectional area over the squared mean core diameter. The points group close to a straight line through the origin. The local demagnetizing factor is used, and the conversion to the average or global factor is derived. Three approximate analytical/numerical calculations of the internal field in the ring-core magnetic material are made. The results are close to the experimental data, supporting the conclusion that the demagnetizing factor for thin rings is proportional to the ring cross-sectional area divided by the diameter squared.