More Features

Additional features to be used in several solutions are demonstrated in this chapter.

Contact Resistance - Electrical and Thermal

In this example we show the feature ’Contact Resistance (One Surface)’, that can be used to model thin gaps. For comparison, the simulation model contains two conductors with identical boundary conditions. They differ only in the model of the gap: One has a gap with 3D elements (e.g. the conventional way) while the other uses the feature ’Contact Resistance (One Surface)’ with 2D elements at the gap. Both results are very similar. The below picture shows the two conductors: In front the one with 3D, behind the one with 2D elements at the gap. The gap has 0.25 mm thickness, thus it is hardly visible. The upper shows electric potential, the below shows temperature results.
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Download the model files for this tutorial from the following link:
https://www.magnetics.de/downloads/Tutorials/10.Features/10.6ElectricThermalInterfaceResistance.zip

On the left and right electrode faces there are fixed currents (100 Amps) and zero voltages applied. Different solution types are used:

The picture also shows the dialogue of the simulation object that is used to create such an ’Contact Resistance (One Surface)’
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The text file ’ElectricThermalInterfaceResistance_sim1-1.DC.EddyCurrentLoss.txt’ contains the computed eddy current losses. It can be seen that the losses in the 3D and those in the 2D region, are very close:

The tutorial is complete.

Flux Coupling - Electrical and Thermal

In this example we show the feature ’Flux Coupling (Surface-to-Surface)’ that can be used to couple the flux from two faces. Either the electric or the thermal or both fields can be coupled and the two faces must not match or use the same nodes. The feature creates a bidirectional circuit link between the two faces that allows the flux to be coupled. For comparison, the sim- ulation model contains two conductors with identical boundary conditions. They differ only in the model of the gap: One has a gap with 3D elements (e.g. the conventional way) while the other uses the feature ’Flux Coupling (Surface-to-Surface)’. The below picture shows the two conductors: In front the one with 3D, behind the one with the Flux Coupling.
Download the model files for this tutorial from the following link:
https://www.magnetics.de/downloads/Tutorials/10.Features/10.7FluxCoupling.zip

There is one model (FluxCoupling_sim1.sim) with a DC and a Frequency solution. The other model (Flux-Coupling_sim2.sim) contains also thermal solutions and uses ’Flux Couplings’ with additional ’Contact Resistance’. The following figure shows the two conductors. On the left and right electrode faces there are fixed currents of 100 Amps and zero voltages applied. Thus, an electric current will flow through the conductors
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The solution is a DC Conduction, but also other solution types can be used. If the faces are inside of a fluid, be aware that the fluid must not touch the faces. The example model shows how that can be achieved. The picture below shows the dialogue of the simulation object that is used to create such an ’Flux Coupling (Surface-to-Surface)’
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The tutorial is complete.

Surface to Surface Glue - Electromagnetic, Elastic and Thermal

In this example we show the feature ’Surface to Surface Glue’ that can be used to couple two faces with non-conformal mesh, e.g. with non-matching nodes. The feature uses the mortar FEM method that allows the faces to be coupled.
Download the model files for this tutorial from the following link:
https://www.magnetics.de/downloads/Tutorials/10.Features/10.8SurfaceSurfaceGlue.zip

There is a model (MortarGlue_sim1.sim) with a Elasticity and a Thermal solution. The following figure shows the conductor. On the left and right electrode faces there are fixed Temperatures of 0 and 100 deg.
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The solution is a DC Conduction, but also other solution types can be used. If the faces are inside of a fluid, be aware that the fluid must not touch the faces. The example model shows how that can be achieved. The picture below shows the dialogue of the simulation object that is used to create such an ’Surface-to-Surface Glue’
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The tutorial is complete.

Orthotropic Materials Modeling

In this example electric current flows through a conductor that is modeled with orthotropic electric conductivity.

Download the model files for this tutorial from the following link:
https://www.magnetics.de/downloads/Tutorials/10.Features/10.2OrthotropicMaterial.zip

The following figure shows the conductor and his physical properties menu. Notice the Material CSYS is set to Cartesian and a new coordinate system is defined with x direction pointing diagonal across the plate.
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An orthotropic material is created as shown in the next picture.
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The properties of this orthotropic material are shown below. In this case we use orthotropic electric conductivities and we set the x value much higher than y and z.
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On the left and right electrode faces there are loads (one ampere left and zero volt right) applied and a DC Conduction Steady State analysis is performed.
The next figure shows the electric current density as it results from this simulation.
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Magnetic Hysteresis, Jiles-Atherton Model

In this example we model magnetic hysteresis effects using the Jiles-Atherton model. The used example is the TEAM 32 test case whose setup is shown in the below left picture. The picture right side shows the expected hysteresis loop as it results from alternating magnetic fields at point C6.
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More background information about this test example and available measurements can be found in the reference paper at www.compumag.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/problem32.pdf

The model consists of two coils and a core. In the paper there are 4 cases described. We model case 2: The two coils are connected in series. The series is supplied by a sinusoidal voltage of 13.5 V (peak value). Additionally there is a fifth harmonic applied with same phase.

Download the model files for this tutorial from the following link:
https://www.magnetics.de/downloads/Tutorials/10.Features/10.5MagHysteresisJilesAtherton.zip
The model is already build and ready to solve in subfolder complete. Following we walk through some interesting parts of the model.

  1. In Simcenter, open the Sim file ’Team32_sim1.sim’.
    Set the displayed part to the Fem file.
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  2. Check the existing meshes and physical properties. Notice also, there are 1-D circuit elements included to connect the coils in series and apply additional resistances. Two remaining coil connectors are connected with the voltage load as seen later in the Sim file.
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  3. To model magnetic hysteresis by Jiles-Atherton the material description must have Jiles-Atherton-Parameters. We check this for the core material:
    Edit the core material (t32_Core_mat_hyst) and open register ’Electromagnetic’.
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  4. At the very below of the menu, there are the definitions for ’Jiles-Atherton Parameter’. Notice, these parameters are accessible only if in register ’Electromagnetic’ the ’Model’ is set to ’Low Frequency’ and if the ’Magnetic Properties’ are set to ’Soft Magnet’ and ’Nonlinear Permeability’.

  5. Click the ’Edit’ button (at very buttom of the menu) to open the field editor and display the five parameters. These parameters now will describe the nonlinear and hysteretic material behaviour. The bh curve will not have an influence anymore if Jiles-Atherton is active.
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  6. Close the material menu and set the displayed part to the Sim file.

  7. Edit the solver parameters of the solution. Switch to register ’Numeric’. Notice, the ’Hysteresis Model’ is set to ’Jiles-Atherton’. Thus, the solution will include additional terms for Jiles-Atherton calculation.
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  8. Be aware that these terms are of nonlinear type and will lead to higher computation time. Thus, also the settings at ’Newton-Raphson Method’ do have an influence on this computation. In our case all settings here are at their defaults but other cases may need extra attention here.

  9. Set the register to ’User Defined’. Notice, in ’PostOperation’, ’Add to Tables’ there is a text entry defined. This leads to writing the result ’hb’ into a text file with extension ’hb6.txt’ (6 for position 6). The ’hb’ quantity is only for post processing. It contains the x, y, z components of magnetic field strength (h) and x, y, z components of magnetic flux density (b). We will later use this output to generate the hysteresis curve in MS Excel.
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  10. Check the load: Notice, it is a voltage load being applied to the two coil connectors. The load is defined as ’Analytic’, because this allows to add the fith harmonic simply by writing the desired formula as seen in the below picture.
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    The following picture shows that voltage as a graph.
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  11. Edit the solution, in ’Time Steps’, set the ’End Time Option’ from ’Number Time Steps’ to ’End Time’. ’End Time’ is then 0.2 sec. Now the solution will run two times over the sinus period.
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  12. Finally, solve the solution. Solve time will be about 3 minutes for the 200 time steps and nonlinear iterations.

  13. To make a graph b over h and demonstrate the hysteresis effect, do the following:

References:

Post-only - Run separate Post-Processing

Usually, when a solve is performed, the system first does a solve and then automatically adds a post-processing of the user-requested outputs (results). The solve may be very time consuming while the post-processing normally needs much less time. A disadvantage is the following: If, after such a solve, the user realizes that another result type may be desired, the whole solve and post-processing work must be done again. To overcome this there exists the feature ’Post-only’. It allows to perform post-processing alone. Of course, there must be a solve that already has run before this. The following steps show such process.

The following known issues exist with this feature:

This feature is available since NX version 2306. In older versions, it is available if the Magnetics-installation is done with option ’Use Typical Installation’: ’N’ (no) and ’Latest Version’.