Function based approach in transient finite element analysis

摘要

Numerical simulation of electromagnetic devices using the finite element method is nowadays more than just a magnetostatic calculation. Induced currents, saturation and end-effects have to be taken into account. With the ever increasing computation power of state of the art computers, the transient method using a one-step time-stepping scheme is in common use in finite element analysis. Effects of higher harmonics caused by the non-linear behaviour of materials, motion, but also by non-sinusoidal excitation and faults, can be considered. Applying non-sinusoidal voltages and currents at the finite element model must be possible in an easy and comprehensible way. This is obtained by a function based description of the external circuits, i.e. the sources in the external circuits are described by a function and the actual value is calculated with a function evaluator in each time step of the transient analysis. This function based approach is not only extended to all circuit parameters, but also to the time-stepping and motional information.