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Simulation Drives Electric Machine Design via Advanced ... · Simulation Drives Electric Machine...
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Engineers who design electric machines need simulation tools that can quickly, yet very accurately, be employed to drive product development. The method of choice by engineers who design electric machines is the finite element method (FEM). Historically, FEM has been used as a final check, the last step, of the design process before releasing the design to manufacturing. Successful companies have found that this is no longer ac- ceptable; they have moved simulation early in the design cycle. The main reason for this is that technology has been improved to the point where virtual design can be considerably faster without compromising accuracy. With the advent of high-performance computing (HPC) and advanced FEM, solution times have become so fast that problems solved with FEM can now be used with optimization algorithms that allow design engineers attain higher machine efficiencies with less material and, subsequently, to lower costs. The entire solution domain in which an electrical machine operates is most commonly characterized by its efficiency map (Figure 1). To predict the efficiency map through simulation, a relatively large number of data points need to be calculated. The extraction of these data points has been automated through the use of customized toolkits available in the ANSYS® Maxwell® program. The user simply enters a few input parameters and then clicks on Calculate Efficiency Map, and the software automatically calcu- lates all necessary design points and generates the efficiency map. Determining how a particular design will perform is a necessary step in the design process. More importantly, it is critical for the design engineer to know how to improve the design. Can the same efficiency map be obtained with a motor design that uses less material, is easier to manufacture and reduces costs? Using simulation early in the design phase, the engineering team can perform any type of optimization desired. Journal Article Simulation Drives Electric Machine Design via Advanced Numerical Methods The design of electrical machines for use in electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EV/HEV) is very much dependent on fluctuation of cost of materials due to market pressures. Electric machines that use interior permanent magnets rely on rare earth metals that can vary drastically in price over a relatively short period of time. This unpredictability forces design engineers to look at alternative machine designs, such as three-phase induction motors, which are susceptible to fluctuation in the price of copper. 1 By Scott Stanton, Technical Director ANSYS, Inc. Figure 1. Efficiency map of embedded permanent magnet motor
Transcript of Simulation Drives Electric Machine Design via Advanced ... · Simulation Drives Electric Machine...
Engineers who design electric machines need simulation tools that can quickly, yet very accurately, be employed to drive product development. The method of choice by engineers who design electric machines is the fi nite element method (FEM). Historically, FEM has been used as a fi nal check, the last step, of the design process before releasing the design to manufacturing. Successful companies have found that this is no longer ac-ceptable; they have moved simulation early in the design cycle. The main reason for this is that technology has been improved to the point where virtual design can be considerably faster without compromising accuracy. With the advent of high-performance computing (HPC) and advanced FEM, solution times have become so fast that problems solved with FEM can now be used with optimization algorithms that allow design engineers attain higher machine effi ciencies with less material and, subsequently, to lower costs.
The entire solution domain in which an electrical machine operates is most commonly characterized by its effi ciency map (Figure 1). To predict the effi ciency map through simulation, a relatively large number of data points need to be calculated. The extraction of these data points has been automated through the use of customized toolkits available in the ANSYS® Maxwell® program. The user simply enters a few input parameters and then clicks on Calculate Effi ciency Map, and the software automatically calcu-lates all necessary design points and generates the effi ciency map.
Determining how a particular design will perform is a necessary step in the design process. More importantly, it is critical for the design engineer to know how to improve the design. Can the same effi ciency map be obtained with a motor design that uses less material, is easier to manufacture and reduces costs? Using simulation early in the design phase, the engineering team can perform any type of optimization desired.
Journal Article
Simulation Drives Electric Machine Design via Advanced Numerical Methods
The design of electrical machines for use in electric and hybrid electric vehicles (EV/HEV) is very much dependent on fl uctuation of cost of materials due to market pressures. Electric machines that use interior permanent magnets rely on rare earth metals that can vary drastically in price over a relatively short period of time. This unpredictability forces design engineers to look at alternative machine designs, such as three-phase induction motors, which are susceptible to fl uctuation in the price of copper.
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By Scott Stanton, Technical Director ANSYS, Inc.
Figure 1. Effi ciency map of embedded permanent magnet motor
Simulation Drives Electric Machine Design via Advanced Numerical Methods
Once the design engineer is able to determine the optimum topology, it is critical to determine the eff ects of losses and distributed forces on the thermal as well as noise and vibration of the electric machine. Electric machine design is a multiphysics problem at its core. For example, elec-trical energy is applied to the machine via power electronic devices (i.e. inverters), which introduce temporal harmonics to the system. This electri-cal energy is converted to magnetic energy, which in turn makes the rotor rotate, introducing spatial harmonics. This conversion is not 100 percent effi cient, and the losses that are incurred are realized as an increase in temperature in the electrical machine that needs to be reduced. Finally, the magnetic forces that cause the rotor to rotate are the source of stresses and strains across the machine that introduce noise and vibration. All of these physical properties, electrical-magnetic-thermal-stress-acoustic, need to be addressed by the design team.
ANSYS has developed a simulation environment that allows for seamless integration of these various physics problems to be solved concurrently. Employing ANSYS Workbench™ technology, a design engineering team can access the best-in-class single physics solvers and integrate the solutions of these solvers.
Figure 2. Multiphysics simulation of embedded permanent magnet motor
ANSYS, Inc. is one of the world’s leading engineering simulation software providers. Its technology has enabled customers to predict with accuracy that their product designs will thrive in the real world. The companyoff ers a common platform of fully integrated multiphysics software tools designed to optimize product development processes for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, civil engineering, consumer products, chemical process, electronics, environmental, healthcare, marine, power, sports and others. Applied to design concept, fi nal-stage testing, validation and trouble-shooting existing designs, software from ANSYS can signifi cantly speed design and development times, reduce costs, and provide insight and understanding into product and process performance. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.
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