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

CONCEPT TO REALITY...FASTER

Maxwell is the worlds leading software for the simulation of electromagnetic fields. Designers of electromagnetic and electromechanical components depend on Maxwells 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 Maxwell 2D includes AC/DC magnetic, electrostatic, and transient electromagnetic fields; thermal analysis; significantly grows. Maxwell delivers an unequaled level of usability and numerical power required by engineers in todays leading-edge companies. parametric modeling; and optimization. Additionally, Maxwell 2D produces highly accurate equivalent circuits for inclusion within Ansofts SIMPLORER and other circuit tools.

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

frequency range also may be examined using the AC Magnetic module. The specialized AC Axial solver assumes that the current flow lies in the crosssection 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.

core loss can be exported to the 2D thermal solver and used as sources for a coupled thermal simulation.

Maxwell 2Ds 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, 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

2D DC Magnetic
DC Magnetic: XY and RZ symmetry With Maxwell 2Ds 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 positionMagnetic field for a DC bias coil.

dependent properties. The module automatically calculates force, torque, inductance, and stored energy. The postprocessing calculator provides the ability to derive other quantities of interest from the field solution. Additional postprocessor features include plots of flux lines, B and H fields, energy densities, and saturation.

2D Electrostatic Field
DC Electric Fields: XY and RZ symmetry DC Current Conduction: XY and RZ symmetry AC Current Conduction: XY symmetry only

Maxwell 2Ds 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 electrostaticdischarge 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.
Electrostatic Field distribution. Equipotential line distribution. System of electrodes producing a user-specified field profile.

2D Transient
Transient: XY and RZ symmetry Maxwell 2Ds 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 electromagneticfield 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 powerelectronic 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 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 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. elements can be set as a function of time, position, or speed. 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 userspecified locations while the solution is in progress.
Magnetic field line distribution. Corresponding core loss.

Brushless DC Motor Application

Chopped controlled current in the windings.

Schematic of driving circuit with chopper control for current.

2D Thermal
Thermal: XY and RZ symmetry The Maxwell 2D Thermal capability provides steady-state thermal analysis capability, including convection and radiation and oneway coupling between 2D AC Magnetic
Temperature distribution associated with core loss in a transformer.

2D AC

power loss

2D Thermal

devices complete thermal profile. This capability is especially important for the design of todays electronic products, where thermal performance is of great concern.

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

2D Parametric
The 2D Parametric capability enables designers to solve multiple design constraints within Maxwell 2D.

A single mouse click can initiate the chronological solving of literally thousands of physics problems without user interaction.
Results of parametric runs are displayed in an easy-to-read spreadsheet format.

Design parameters in 2D simulations include position, shape, material properties, source/boundary assignments, and frequency for the time harmonic solutions.

Equivalent Circuit Generator

Equivalent Circuit Model Generation

Parametric Finite Element Solution

SIMPLORER

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 Ansofts SIMPLORER or Maxwell SPICE to simulate the device under test or within an entire system.

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

Output voltage.

Maxwell 2D i n c l u d e s t h e c a p a b i l ities listed below. Pleas e c o n s u l t y o u r l o c a l sales representativ e f o r p r i c i n g a n d i n f ormation on this and on o t h e r A n s o f t p r o d u c t s .

ANSOFT OFFICES
Corporate Headquarters 4 Station Square, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1119 USA tel: +1.412.261.3200 fax: +1.412.471.9427 e-mail: info@ansoft.com www.ansoft.com European Locations France Germany Italy Sweden United Kingdom Asia/Pacific Locations China Japan Korea Singapore Taiwan

Maxwell 2D Capabilities
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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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. PL22-0203 2002 Ansoft Corporation.

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