Eddy currents damping understood as Zener viscoelastic damping

•An electromechanical model is proposed for eddy currents damping analysis.•An equivalence between Zener model damping and eddy currents damping has been found.•Self-inductance is related with relaxation, characteristic of viscoelasticity.•Experimental results found by other authors have been explained by this model.•A validation has been performed by analytical and experimental ways.•Eddy current damping can be understood by well-known properties of viscoelasticity.