A FEM method for eddy current analysis in laminated media

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims at developing a computational technique to take account of the laminated nature of iron cores when computing their eddy current losses.

Design/methodology/approach

A method is presented to compute three‐dimensional eddy current distributions in laminated media by means of the finite element method. In a first step, the laminated medium is assumed to have an anisotropic conductivity with zero (or very low) value in the direction normal to the laminations. In a second step, the eddy currents within the laminates are computed by solving the quasistatic electromagnetic field individually in each sheet. In these essentially two‐dimensional analyses, the boundary conditions are taken from the three‐dimensional field distribution determined in the first step.

Findings

Comparisons with results obtained from a finite element model taking account of each laminate prove the validity of the method.

Research limitations/implications

The method is presented for linear media only. Taking account of nonlinearity is an important future topic.

Originality/value

Taking account of the laminations by treating the magnetic field distribution obtained from a homogenised model is a novelty of potential benefit to researchers developing methods of loss computation in laminated media.

Citation

Bíró, O., Preis, K. and Ticar, I. (2005), "A FEM method for eddy current analysis in laminated media", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 241-248. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321640510571264