Powerful, accurate software for two-dimensional, electromagnetic, electromechanical, and thermal analysis

CONCEPT TO REALITY...FASTER

Maxwell® 2D’s AC Magnetic capability

solves systems that have significant

effects from induced eddy currents, skin

effect, and proximity effect. Designers

may use the AC Magnetic solver in

frequency ranges from 0 Hz through

several hundred MHz. Applications

include bus bars, transformers, coils,

2D AC Magnetic

AC Magnetic: XY and RZ symmetry • AC Axial Current: XY symmetry only

and nondestructive evaluation systems.

The solver automatically calculates

power loss, core loss, impedance for

frequency, force, torque, inductance, and

stored energy. Additionally, plots of flux

lines, B and H fields, current distribution,

and energy densities over the entire

phase cycle are available. Power and

core loss can be exported to the 2D

thermal solver and used as sources for a

coupled thermal simulation.

Conductors may be placed in series

or parallel, and termination may be

included. Each conductor may have

a current with a different amplitude

and phase lead or lag. The change

in inductance and resistance over a

frequency range also may be examined

using the AC Magnetic module.

The specialized AC Axial solver assumes

that the current flow lies in the cross-

section of the model and that the

magnetic field has only a component

perpendicular to the cross-section. The

AC Axial solver is used primarily for

systems where material is immersed

in a magnetic field specified using

appropriate boundary conditions. Typical

applications include eddy-current losses

in thin laminations.

Induced eddy currents in thin printed circuit traces typically found in induction heating applications.

Maxwell® is the world’s leading software for the simulation of electromagnetic fields. Designers of electromagnetic and electromechanical components depend on Maxwell’s unsurpassed accuracy and ease of use to achieve design objectives, reduce risk, and bring products to market quickly.

Overview

Electromagnetic components, such as

sensors, actuators, motors, transformers,

and industrial control systems are

used more than ever in a broad range

of industries. As designers push the

envelope of performance and size,

the need for advanced, easy-to-use,

numerical field simulation techniques

significantly grows. Maxwell® delivers

an unequaled level of usability and

numerical power required by engineers

in today’s leading-edge companies.

Maxwell 2D includes AC/DC

magnetic, electrostatic, and transient

electromagnetic fields; thermal analysis;

parametric modeling; and optimization.

Additionally, Maxwell 2D produces

highly accurate equivalent circuits for

inclusion within Ansoft’s SIMPLORER®

and other circuit tools.

Maxwell® 2D’s Electrostatic Field

capability can simulate electric fields

that arise from DC voltage sources,

permanently polarized materials,

and charges/charge densities found

in high-voltage insulator, bushings,

circuit breakers, and electrostatic-

discharge devices. Material types include

dielectrics (anisotropic and position

dependent) and ideal conductors.

This module automatically calculates

parameters, such as force, torque,

capacitance, and stored energy. A

powerful field calculator allows users

to calculate other quantities from the

field solution. Post-processing features

include voltage contours, D and E fields,

and energy density plots.

The specialized DC Current Conduction

solver assumes that the current flow lies

in the cross-section of the model. For

example, in printed-circuit applications,

a thin trace on a dielectric carries

current. The trace is so thin that the

current flow in the “thickness” dimension

of the trace is negligible and therefore

ignored. The DC Current Conduction

solver then models the current by using a

“top-down” view, giving the user both the

current distribution and the resistance of

the trace.

The AC Current Conduction solver is

similar to the DC Electrostatic Field

solver with the addition of conductive

losses to the dielectrics and sinusoidal

voltage sources. This analysis solves

for capacitance and conductance

(admittance) in the system so that losses

in the dielectrics can be simulated.

When used in conjunction with the

AC Magnetic solver, the user may

obtain complete RLCG parameters of a

transmission line for any frequency.

2D Electrostatic Field

DC Electric Fields: XY and RZ symmetry • DC Current Conduction: XY and RZ symmetry • AC Current Conduction: XY symmetry only

Equipotential line distribution.

Electrostatic Field distribution.

System of electrodes producing a user-specified field profile.

With Maxwell® 2D’s DC Magnetic

capability, designers can analyze

static magnetic fields that arise from

DC currents, permanent magnets, and

applied external fields. Applications

include actuators, sensors, and

permanent magnets. Devices analyzed

may contain nonlinear BH curves (i.e.

steels, ferrites, and permanent magnets),

anisotropic properties, and position-

dependent properties. The module

automatically calculates force, torque,

inductance, and stored energy. The post-

processing calculator provides the ability

to derive other quantities of interest

from the field solution. Additional post-

processor features include plots of flux

lines, B and H fields, energy densities,

and saturation.

2D DC Magnetic

DC Magnetic: XY and RZ symmetry

Magnetic field for a DC bias coil.

Maxwell® 2D’s Transient conveniently

solves applications that include arbitrary

waveforms for both voltage and current

sources as well as motion. Motors,

frictionless bearings, and eddy-current

brakes are devices that commonly

require full transient electromagnetic-

field analysis to accurately predict their

performance characteristics. This

feature easily handles these applications

by simultaneously solving the

equations of magnetic fields, electric

circuits, and motion within a strong

coupling formulation.

Users can input a variety of physical

parameters as variables, including

sources, load, resistance, inductance,

capacitance, or material properties. They

may input parameters in the form of

functions, curves, or as files created

either by the designer or by third-party

software. This provides convenient

modeling of various phenomena, such as

sudden open circuit, sudden short circuit,

braking, unbalanced or fault operation,

load change or mechanical perturbation,

and power-electronic switching.

To support arbitrary topology of power-

electronic drive circuits and arbitrary

winding connections, the 2D Transient

includes an external circuit coupling,

complete with schematic capture.

Schematic capture allows easy access

to all available components, such

as functional resistances, capacitances,

inductances, various diodes, controlled

switches, independent sources, and

voltage/current probes. Functional

2D Transient Transient: XY and RZ symmetry

elements can be set as a function of

time, position, or speed.

The 2D Transient also includes an

interface to call external user programs

or other third-party programs at each

time step of the solution sequence. This

allows designers to incorporate their

knowledge base and problem-specific

software supplements.

The post-processor enables interactive

visualization of detailed field quantities

and provides enhanced understanding

of field solutions and electromechanical

data. Output includes current, induced

voltage and flux linkage in each winding,

flux distribution, local saturation effects,

time- and motion-induced eddy currents,

dynamic force or torque response,

position profile, speed response, and

power and core loss. The core loss

includes individual components of eddy

loss, excess loss, and hysteresis loss,

including the minor loop. Designers can

use the signal-processing calculator for

further data processing, such as RMS

or average value computation, curve

fitting, or harmonics analysis. Users

also can call post-processing macros,

allowing field visualization at user-

specified locations while the solution is

in progress.

Magnetic field line distribution. Corresponding core loss.

Chopped controlled current in the windings.

Schematic of driving circuit with chopper control for current.

Brushless DC Motor Application

Parametric Finite Element Solution

EquivalentCircuit Model

GenerationSIMPLORER®

The Maxwell® 2D Thermal capability

provides steady-state thermal

analysis capability, including

convection and radiation and one-

way coupling between 2D AC Magnetic

and 2D Thermal. Designers may use

power-loss and core-loss information

obtained in the AC Magnetic solver as an

input source for this in order to obtain a

device’s complete thermal profile.

This capability is especially important

for the design of today’s electronic

products, where thermal performance is

of great concern.

2D Thermal Thermal: XY and RZ symmetry

The 2D Parametric capability enables

designers to solve multiple design

constraints within Maxwell® 2D.

Design parameters in 2D simulations

include position, shape, material

properties, source/boundary

assignments, and frequency for the

time harmonic solutions.

With Maxwell® 2D, designers can

automatically generate an equivalent

circuit model from a finite-element

solution. For example, it is possible to

define a solenoid gap and coil current

as variable parameters and to simulate

the device over the entire operating

range of the current and gap without user

intervention. The result is a set of force

versus gap characteristics for different

coil currents. An equivalent circuit model

is then automatically created from the

parametric results.

Equivalent circuit models of a

device may incorporate the behavior

of inductance, resistance, force,

torque, and flux linkage of the

device through the entire range of

operating conditions. Designers may

then use the model within Ansoft’s

SIMPLORER® or Maxwell® SPICE

to simulate the device under test or

within an entire system.

A single mouse click can initiate the

chronological solving of literally

thousands of physics problems without

user interaction.

Temperature distribution associated with core loss in a transformer.

2D Parametric

Equivalent Circuit Generator

Results of parametric runs are displayed in an easy-to-read spreadsheet format.

2D AC 2D Thermalpower

loss

Equivalent circuit model of a variable reluctance sensor operating within a circuit.

Output voltage.

• 2D AC Magnetic

• 2D DC Magnetic

• 2D Electric Fields

• 2D Transient

• 2D Thermal

• 2D Equivalent Circuit Generator

• 2D Parametrics

• Schematic Capture

• Maxwell® SPICE

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ANSOFT OFFICESMaxwell® 2D includes the capabili t ies l isted

below. Please consult your local sales

representative for pricing and information on

this and on other Ansoft products.

www.ansoft.com

Maxwell® 2D Capabilities

PL22-0203©2002 Ansoft Corporation.

Maxwell 3D, Maxwell 2D, SIMPLORER, RMxprt, Maxwell SPICE, and Optimetrics are trademarks of Ansoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.