{"id":13797,"date":"2020-05-13T07:30:51","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T11:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/?p=13797"},"modified":"2026-03-26T06:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T10:20:14","slug":"low-frequency-computational-electromagnetics-with-simcenter-star-ccm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/simcenter\/low-frequency-computational-electromagnetics-with-simcenter-star-ccm\/","title":{"rendered":"Yeah, coffee helps – but have you tried computational electromagnetics?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Coffee and computational electromagnetics? How does that go together? Well, it all started with the covid19 lockdown. I came across the recipe of a new trendy caffeine-based drink, interestingly dubbed the \u201cquarantine coffee drink\u201d: the Dalgona Coffee<\/a><\/em>, a kind of inverse cappuccino. I am Italian and I tend to become a bit emotional when the topic is coffee, so I decided to sacrifice myself and test the drink. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to prepare it, you need to whip some instant coffee with sugar and warm water until it gets foamy and firm. Easy-peasy. I got a spoon and started manually whipping the mix. After almost 8 minutes of disappointing cardiovascular activity and elbow grease, I declared the experiment failed. I double-checked the recipe and I noticed that \u201can electric hand-mixer was strongly recommended\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electromagnetics is your friend<\/strong>  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Electric\u00a0motors<\/em>\u00a0are a fine invention, really.\u00a0By\u00a0combining\u00a0cleverly arranged electric wires with\u00a0permanent magnets, they\u00a0deliver\u00a0the right torque\u00a0and rotational speed\u00a0for your job. Interestingly, they are the core component of several of\u00a0the\u00a0devices\u00a0you\u00a0may find useful\u00a0during\u00a0a quarantine\u00a0(most notably\u00a0hair\u00a0clippers).\u00a0For instance, my\u00a0neighbors\u00a0seem to\u00a0enjoy\u00a0playing with\u00a0two types of electric motors\u00a0exactly when I need some focus: the\u00a0heavy-duty\u00a0drill machine and the lawnmower.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t use an electric frother if you haven\u2019t got electric power at hand. Generators <\/em>far away from you produce electric power, which is then distributed at high voltage via a grid of cables<\/em>. Converters<\/em> and transformers<\/em> in your town\u2019s substation step down the high voltage before distributing the power to households. Circuit breakers<\/em> control switching\/commutation operations. And for your safety at home, fuses<\/em> take care of dangerous voltage spikes and short-circuits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Computational<\/em> electromagnetics is your friend<\/strong>  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What I have always found fascinating about this zoo of different applications is that their diverse working principles are a direct incarnation of the same set of physical laws. Herr<\/em> Ernst Werner von Siemens understood that very well and made a huge business out of it<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite\u00a0their elegant\u00a0and reasonable\u00a0appearance,\u00a0the\u00a0equations\u00a0describing those phenomena\u00a0need to be handled with care.\u00a0Textbooks are full of\u00a0worked examples in simplified geometries,\u00a0however, in real life, simple geometries\u00a0are the exception, not the rule.\u00a0No wonder a set of methods had to be established that caters for the increasingly complex real-world problems: computational electromagnetics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, consider that most of the forefront innovation nowadays is played on the field of multiphysics. In a multiphysics simulation, computational electromagnetics is not a stand-alone effect. On the contrary, it has an impact on the thermal, fluid and structural properties of the device and vice versa. So, long story short, numerical simulations are an essential tool for your advanced analyses.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quarter model of a 3-phase transformer in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. The animation shows the magnetic flux density magnitude in the transformer core. A vector field indicates the oscillating excitation currents in the primary windings.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Simcenter STAR-CCM+ is your friend<\/strong>  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simcenter\u00a0STAR-CCM+ is a multi-purpose\u00a0CFD\u00a0tool with expanding\u00a0multiphysics\u00a0capabilities. In a single integrated user interface, users can utilize a full\u00a0suite of coupled physics models to build a high-fidelity digital twin of their real-life application.\u00a0In particular,\u00a0Simcenter\u00a0STAR-CCM+\u00a0offers dedicated models for electromagnetic analysis at\u00a0low frequency<\/em>, namely when the wavelength of the fields is larger than the size of the domain under investigation\u00a0(for\u00a0instance, for\u00a0devices\u00a0of\u00a0less than\u00a0~1 m, the low-frequency range is below ~500\u00a0MHz).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both frequency and time-domain solvers are available, in 2D, 2D axisymmetric and in 3D. The user can choose between a Finite Element (FE) based and a Finite Volume based numerical formulations. The former is essential to avoid spurious solutions when your simulation include ferromagnetic materials. The latter is useful for plasma simulations<\/a> with no ferromagnetism (e.g. high voltage circuit breakers).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FE Magnetic Vector Potential model \u2013 the cutting edge of Simcenter STAR-CCM+’s electromagnetic suite \u2013 enjoys the choice of both a direct and an iterative multi-grid solver. The iterative solver is particularly advantageous for large problems (tens of millions of degrees of freedom). It shows indeed excellent performance and scalability thanks to Simcenter STAR-CCM+\u2019s High Performance Computing framework. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Multiphysics is a powerful tool for highly predictive analyses of the thermal behavior of electric machines. For highest fidelity, it is critical to be able to recruit all necessary physical models in a coupled manner. This is achievable within one simulation file in Simcenter STAR-CCM+. Simulation of a BMW i3 motor by Kaushik Illa.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Coupled multiphysics is your friend<\/strong>  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ability of Simcenter STAR-CCM+ to couple several physics models in one single environment is one of its major strengths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider, for instance,\u00a0those simulation experts who\u00a0need to account for the effective cooling of an electric machine. This is an essential step in the development chain of a robust and high-performance electric motor (see also our on-demand Webinar 1<\/a> and Webinar 2<\/a>). While electromagnetic losses provide the heating terms, detailed cooling simulations could involve advanced multiphase analyses (e.g. oil-spray cooling). Therefore a single, integrated software environment with all the required physics significantly facilitates the job of the simulation experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, designing a reliable circuit breaker often requires detailed simulations of complex physical phenomena, involving radiation, electrode motion and fluid dynamics. Take a look at some publications outlining the power of computational electromagnetics in Simcenter STAR-CCM+ here <\/a>or here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typical low frequency, multiphysics applications that you can perform with Simcenter STAR-CCM+ include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n