Cobham Technical Services Vector Fields Software

UK Network House, Langford LocksKidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 1LHT: +44 (0)1865 370151F: +44 (0)1865 370277E: vectorfields.info@cobham.com

operaFEA.com transformer-design-software.com

USA1700 N Farnsworth Ave,Aurora, IL 60505, USA. T: +1 (630) 851 1734F: +1 (630) 851 2106E: vectorfieldsinc.info@cobham.com

Analysis Tools

• 2d & 3d modelling• Solid modelling capability• Coupled physics• Application environment• Parameterization• Optimization• Graphical Circuit Editor• CAD import• Simulink® integration

Multiphysics Capabilities

• Electromagnetics (Steady state & transient)• Circuits• Hysteresis• Eddy Currents• Stray Fields (EMC/EMI)• Losses• Forces

• Thermal (Steady state & transient)

Customer Support

We provide support to Opera users from our offices in the UK and the USA, and through a worldwide network of local distributors. Our support engineers have an extensive knowledge of transformers and reactors and are available to assist both existing and prospective customers with their design requirements. In addition, regular training courses are held, which provide “hands-on” training in the use of Opera for designing these types of systems. What ever your application and wherever you are located, you can be sure of our interest and support.

The use of accurate finite element simulation to design transformers and reactors is becoming a vital part of the development process, companies who use these techniques are able to differentiate themselves with optimal design performance, short development timescales, and cost-effective manufacture. Cobham has over 25 years’ experience working with foremost power system manufacturers to produce some of the most accurate and functionally advanced software for transformer and reactor design.

For more information about Opera and the numerical simulation of transformers and reactors, please refer to the relevant technical data sheets and application notes. They can be obtained from our website, transformer-design-software.com, which is dedicated to the finite element modelling of transformers and reactors. This website contains information, including a range of technical publications, videos and webinars, that is of general interest to engineers involved in transformer and reactor design.

©2015 Chelton Ltd operating as Cobham Technical Services. Specifications subject to change without notice.

Any trade names or marks used are the property of their owners and are recognized, including Simulink (a trademark of MathWorks).

Applications

• Transformers• Reactors• LVDT• Fault current limiters• Single or multi-phase • Air or iron cored• Low & high frequency• Current or voltage driven• AC, push-pull, pulse, variable

Transformer & Reactor Design

The most important thing we build is trust

• Mechanical (forces/loads can be generated from other physics, defined or imported)• Stresses & strains• Deformation• Thermal Expansion• Piezo response• Eigenfrequency

• Results available as input to other physics

Transformer & Reactor Design

The most important thing we build is trust

Transformer & Reactor Design

“I need a solution-provider, not a software vendor”

Cobham Technical Services - Vector Fields Software has over 25 years’ experi-ence in the development of advanced software used for transformer and reactor design. The scope of the Opera software suite has been driven by indus-try requirements to ensure its relevance to the market-place. The software is efficient and accurate, and provides a cost-effective engineering solution to

real-world design problems. Users include some of the largest and most advanced producers of power systems devices from many industries as well as prestigious research laboratories and academic institu-tions all of whom have access to com-prehensive training and support services (please see overleaf ).

“I need to keep ahead of US Department of Energy efficiency regulations. Can Opera help with this?”

Device efficiency is one of the many outputs available within Opera. Optimiza-tion for maximum efficiency and any other desirable objectives can be achieved automatically.

“I need simulation to be part of the design process, not an after-thought”

The Opera software fits easily into engi-neering design processes. Opera provides options to record and extend standard activities through parameterization, script-ing, and automatic optimization of the quantities of interest over the whole solu-tion space. It is also easy to couple Opera to or from software used in other parts of the design process such as costing/sourc-ing software through the COM interface (Windows™) or shared library (Linux™).

“The transformer is just a part of a complex system”

The comprehensive capabilities in Opera allow the coupled analysis of electromag-netic, thermal and mechanical effects in detail. Opera provides a design tool to investigate the overall performance of a complex system. Co-simulation between Opera and Simulink® can be used to mod-el the performance of large scale systems where transformers or reactors modelled in Opera are components in a larger system.

“I need to reduce development time and increase performance”

Opera constitutes a comprehensive soft-ware system for numerical modelling. It captures expert knowledge, and provides a specialized design environment for rapid prototyping of both transformers and reactors. Opera offers efficient, robust and practical results in a convenient package.

“How do I automate my processes?”

Opera provides tools covering the com-plete modelling process. It includes easy-to-use CAD graphical user interfaces which allow geometries to be created or imported from other CAD programs. Using the general-purpose user interface, parameterized models of virtually any device can be built, solved, interrogated and improved. Knowledge gained can be built into macros using Opera’s powerful scripting language. Results such as induct-ances, copper and iron losses, equivalent circuit representations and performance under fault conditions calculated by Opera can be output either as graphs or text files for reuse in external programs.

Manufacturers of power systems and associated devices face the challenge of designing products to meet the demands of the modern world, such as increasing efficiency, smaller footprint, lighter, and low environmental impact. To meet these, often competing requirements, successful products need to be innovative and highly optimised. The conventional development process of design iterations and physical proto-type build/test is both time consuming and costly, which is why designers increasingly use computer simulation.

The Opera simulation suite uses the finite element method to simulate the electrical, thermal and structural behaviour of devices and systems. Opera is a virtual prototyping tool that can be used to explore design variants, optimise and refine designs with test results that can be as accurate as physical testing.

Accelerate and optimize your design with the Opera simulation software

Transformer & Reactor Design

“Gaining a clear picture of the effect of design changes can provide significant cost-savings, which is why we regard the Opera electromagnetic field simulator as such a useful tool.”

“Our simulation results heavily influence our general design strategy, helping to maximise the efficiency of every product we make and providing us with a tool for continuous optimisation.”

“We use 3D Opera models to optimise the insulation design of transformer winding exit structures, and also make use of 2D models for designing the insulation between windings.”

For the full article and others please visit transformer-design-software.com/news

operaFEA.com

“How do I make my engineers productive in the minimum amount of time?”

Opera and the Transformer and Reactor Environment incorporate many years of accumulated knowledge from power sys-tems experts. The Transformer and Reactor Environment has been developed to pro-vide a rapid prototyping tools for industry standard device types and configurations. Templates for common configurations allow users to quickly create and analyze designs. Facilities to modify or supplement the standard templates to accomodate be-spoke design/design features are available. In addition training and support provided by experts in electromagnetic device development is also available (please see overleaf ).

“How do I refine a design without spend-ing days manually tweaking numbers?”

Opera’s built-in optimizer can be driven us-ing a parametric model from the general-purpose system or automatically from the Transformer & Reactor Environment. Either way, your designs can be fully investigated and optimized.

Design > Simulate > Analyze > Optimize

“Normal operation is one thing, how about performance under fault conditions?”

Opera is general-purpose finite element simulation software that is available for 2d and 3d analyses. Opera solves the fundamental equations that describe the intrinsic multi-physics behaviour of any power systems device. This formulation means that the software applies equally well to fault conditions and normal opera-tion, and predicts accurately the real-life performance in either state.

In BriefOpera is software for electromagnetic design that can model virtually any type of power systems device. The optional Transformer & Reactor Environment has been engineered to provide an easy to use interface for creating and analyzing industry standard design. A wide range of parametric templates which include IEC circuit configurations are used to automatically build and test devices.

Device Types:

Any topology, input/output power and supply frequency may be analysed.

Capabilities for Designers:

• 2d and 3d device evaluation using advanced Finite Element simulation

• Full non-linear and locally orthotropic material representations for both electromagnetics & thermal

• Accuracy comparable with measurement• Rapid testing of design variants• Test under real-world conditions (i.e.

across all operating and under fault conditions)

• Include the power supply and load• Include thermal and structural analysis

Standard results include:

• Efficiency• Inductances• Saturation curves• Short-circuit analysis• Open-circuit analysis• Inrush current/load test• Switch on transients• Losses – copper, eddy-current, hysteresis• Design optimization• Co-simulation with Simulink® • Stray field/shielding analysis (EMC/EMI)• Dynamic forces on coils

“Gaining a clear picture of the effect of design changes can provide significant cost-savings, which is why we regard the Opera electromagnetic field simulator as such a useful tool.”

“Our simulation results heavily influence our general design strategy, helping to maximise the efficiency of every product we make and providing us with a tool for continuous optimisation.”

“We use 3D Opera models to optimise the insulation design of transformer winding exit structures, and also make use of 2D models for designing the insulation between windings.”

For the full article and others please visit transformer-design-software.com/news