Cobham Technical Services Releases New Vector Fields Software

By DE Editors

Cobham Technical Services is releasing a new version of its Vector Fields Software tool for designing rotating electrical machinery. The electromagnetic simulation software combines the accuracy of virtual prototyping using finite-element analysis with a rapid front-end design tool that allows users to create models of motors and generators in minutes,  according to the company.

Several new modeling elements are being added to accelerate the design process. The company is also showing an optional new hysteresis solver for soft magnetic materials that provides an accurate means of accounting for losses and predicting performance changes due to hysteresis effects in the specialty electrical steels that are increasingly being used to enhance machine efficiency.

The software is an application-specific toolbox for the Opera Vector Fields Software package, and provides a front-end to the electromagnetic simulator that speeds the creation of design models by means of “fill-in-the-blanks” dialog boxes. Users select the form of motor or generator they want to design from a list of all common types.  By entering a list of parameters to define mechanical geometry, material properties and electrical data, a model is automatically created and post-processing performed.

The package comes with templates for a range of common rotating machinery including motor types such as AC induction, brushless,  permanent magnet, and switched reluctance, plus synchronous motors or generators.  Within these basic equipment types, users can choose from a selection of component geometries and other options to create their design.

Among several new model elements added with this release is an embedded magnet design plus variants of a V-shape rotor magnet, a style used to achieve higher torque densities as well as being less prone to demagnetization. There is also a new template for permanent magnet generators. These options give users the means to quickly create a model, even for manufacturers who have their own proprietary design techniques. Among a number of other enhancements to the design package is a more powerful post processor tool, to perform calculations and manipulations on simulation results to analyze a design concept.

More information, visit Cobham Technical Services.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.