I know that magnetic fields can be redirected, but... given a situation where you have static magnetic field over a large area, and you want to quickly change the magnetic field strength. Is it feasible to redirect nearby fields and curve the field towards a single point, thus increasing flux density and strength?
the answer with the cone is great and all but are there any alternatives?
Yes, it is possible to guide magnetic field lines using a shaped magnetic material. Just as field lines concentrate when entering the south pole of a magnet from a large area, an external magnetic field can be "gathered" using, for example, a cone-shaped piece of iron. The cone can be positioned such that the static field spread over a large area enters the wide end of the cone. The iron confines the field and will guide it to the tip of the cone, where it will emerge with a much higher density and, therefore, a much higher magnetic field strength.
This will, of course, reduce the field to the sides of the cone, since this method won't increase the total magnetic field present in the region. The field lines that used to occupy that space are now simply confined inside the cone.
This is basically what a solenoid does. You have multiple current rings, and "within" the solenoid the magnetic field loops are concentrated whereas outside they are very weak and actually divergent in the limiting case. A much more interesting questions is if one could design a solenoid or solenoid like structure which "minimizes" the magnetic fields and currents "within" the sources (wire loops) while maximizing it in the region "outside" of the "sources" (interior of the solenoid without any currents or sources). This would have practical implications, since there are limits to how much current and magnetic fields materials which hold the currents can tolerate before they breakdown. It would be great if one could generate very large fields outside of the sources to say confine a magnetic fusion plasma, without breaking down structure containing the generating currents. It is a much more difficult problem because you have to treat the field within the conductors themselves. I have thought about it fruitlessly for a while and would love to find someone who might have worked on this more. Perhaps it could not easily be solved analytically, but just like they are doing with antennas these says, perhaps, since the equations are already there, the deux ex machina of genetic algorithms might be useful if one could define all the parameters. Also, there is perhaps a completely different approach than the solenoid one, that is a dynamical electromagnetic field. Since these can be self-propagating in the vaccuum, and one could theoretically focus a magnetic field outside of a source. Technically, there would be far-field (radiation) in such cases, but not all cases. For example, Schott in 1933 discovered non-radiating solutions for spherically charged objects rotating at relativistic velocities. To my knowledge, no one has designed an object which could do this without such high velocities, but these kinds of problems have been solved before by a more clever design.
This may be what you’re looking for – an array of magnets (permanent or electromagnetic) can be oriented in opposition and at 90-degree angle to a magnetic pole, concentrating the field into a beam-like region of high intensity:
“Apparatus and method for amplifying a magnetic beam,” patented by Boyd Bushman for Lockheed in 1997: http://www.google.com/patents/US5929732
Explosively pumped flux compression generator is close to what you describe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator ): "the magnetic flux produced by a wound conductor is confined to the interior of a hollow metallic tube surrounded by explosives, and submitted to a violent compression when the explosives are fired" (a description of one of the implementations) - the magnetic flux through the tube remains largely unchanged, but the tube radius decreases due to the explosion, so the magnetic field increases dramatically. This is a one-time-only device.
Using a 4" square piece of steel we had the machinist turn a flat cone 4" at the base and 1" at the top. When attached to the end of a salvaged electromagnet previously used for separating junk scrap iron, we were able to attain (IIRC- this was thirty years ago) a four-fold increase in density to about 80 kG/in².
And yes, a good time was had by all.
Yes ..I think it is possible to bent magnetic force of line. If the solenoid is straight the magnetic force line emits both of the two sides. but if the solenoid is U shaped the force line then will emit only one side and that is north to south. But we need to focus magnetic force line at a point. thats why we can make the solenoid with a angle (it can be 30-60) then all the magnetic force of line will emit only one side and it will be focused at a point or area. again if we make the solenoid one side thikness and other side thikless then magnetic force line will emit only two side strongly and then we can bent the solenoid to bent the magnetic force of line.
