As power densities increase and form factors shrink, the choice between a passive or active cooling strategy becomes one of the most critical decisions in the design cycle. Making the wrong call leads to costly redesigns and field failures.

This is where simulation provides a decisive advantage. Cloud-based analysis allows engineers to test, validate, and optimize thermal solutions before committing to physical prototypes, transforming a high-stakes gamble into a predictable science. This article will dissect the two primary cooling methodologies – passive and active cooling methods – and provide a comprehensive framework for selecting and simulating the optimal approach to provide cooling for your project.

Passive Cooling: The Silent Guardian

Passive cooling represents engineering elegance – achieving thermal management without active cooling components consuming additional energy. It is a reliable, silent, and cost-effective solution for dissipating low-to-moderate heat loads, making it a cornerstone of modern electronics design.

What is Passive Cooling?

Passive cooling leverages the fundamental laws of physics to transport thermal energy. It relies on conduction, natural convection, and radiation to move heat from a source to the surrounding environment. Because these systems have no moving parts, the cooling systems are inherently fail-proof from a mechanical standpoint. This is a key principle behind passive cooling strategies offering unparalleled long-term reliability.

The process begins with conduction, governed by Fourier’s Law (q=−k∇T), where heat moves through a solid material like aluminum or copper. The heat then transfers to the surroundings via natural convection and radiation. Radiative cooling, described by the Stefan-Boltzmann Law (P=ϵσA(Thot⁴​−Tcold⁴​)), is why heat sinks are often anodized or painted black—to increase their emissivity (ϵ) and maximize heat dissipation.

How Does Passive Cooling Work?

The primary workhorse of passive cooling is the heat sink, which uses a large surface area to efficiently transfer heat. The process is straightforward:

1. Conduction: Heat is generated by the electronic component and conducted into the heat sink base, often through a Thermal Interface Material (TIM) that minimizes thermal resistance on the interface.
2. Dissipation: The heat spreads through the heat sink to its fins, which dramatically increase the surface area for dissipation into the ambient via natural convection and radiation.

More advanced passive systems like heat pipes and vapor chambers use two-phase heat transfer. A sealed working fluid evaporates at the hot interface (absorbing latent heat) and condenses at the cold interface (releasing heat), achieving an effective thermal conductivity that is orders of magnitude higher than solid copper.

Benefits of Passive Cooling

• Extreme Reliability: With no moving parts, there are zero mechanical failure points, which is essential for systems in inaccessible locations like satellites or remote telecom towers. Systems without openings offer a huge advantage in terms of preventing dirt and dust to negatively affect the cooling system or require regular maintenance.
• Zero Operational Cost: These solutions add nothing to a product’s energy consumption or a facility’s utility bill.
• Silent Operation: The absence of fans is a critical requirement for noise-sensitive applications like high-fidelity audio equipment or medical devices.
• Lower Cost: Passive solutions are typically cheaper to manufacture than their active counterparts.

Passive Cooling Systems Examples

• Extruded Aluminum Heat Sinks: The most common type, found in routers, set-top boxes, and solid-state drives (SSDs).
• Heat Pipes & Vapor Chambers: Used in high-performance laptops and compact, fanless PCs.
• Strategically Vented Enclosures: Designing a product’s housing to maximize the natural “chimney effect” of rising hot air.
• Phase Change Materials (PCMs): Materials that absorb thermal spikes by melting and re-solidify when the load decreases.

Real world passive cooling example

Cobalt Design used SimScale to reduce their passive heat sink temperature by 11% through the analysis of existing designs which highlighted localized peak temperatures inside the unit without an adequate exfiltration path.

Read the case study

Active Cooling: The Power Play

When the heat load generated by a system surpasses the capacity of passive methods, engineers must turn to active cooling. This approach uses forced convection components  to dramatically accelerate heat removal, making active cooling solutions essential for enabling performance levels that would be otherwise impossible.

What is Active Cooling?

Active cooling is any thermal management system that consumes energy to enhance heat transfer. By introducing a mechanical component like a fan or pump, these systems overcome the limitations of natural convection, allowing them to manage much higher heat fluxes within a compact form factor.

How Does Active Cooling Work?

The most common form of active cooling is forced convection. A fan or blower moves air across a heat sink at high velocity. This turbulent flow dramatically increases the heat transfer coefficient (h), enhancing the cooling performance and meaning more thermal energy is transferred away from the component.

For more demanding applications, active liquid cooling is used. A pump circulates a coolant through a cold plate mounted on the heat source. The heated liquid then flows to a radiator, where a fan dissipates the heat into the air, improving overall energy efficiency. A case study on high-power electronics demonstrated that a direct liquid cooling solution could maintain a component’s temperature at 55°C, while an air-cooled solution could only manage 77°C under the same heat load—a crucial 22°C difference.

Benefits of Active Cooling

• Superior Thermal Performance: The ability to dissipate immense heat loads enables high-performance CPUs and GPUs to operate at peak potential without throttling.
• Precise Thermal Control: Fan speeds can be dynamically adjusted using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) based on sensor data, optimizing cooling while minimizing noise and power use.
• Design Compactness: Active cooling achieves high performance in tight spaces, like blade servers, where a comparable passive solution would be too large.

Active Cooling Systems Examples

• Axial Fans & Centrifugal Blowers: Found in virtually all desktop computers, servers, and industrial cabinets.
• Closed-Loop Liquid Coolers: Standard for enthusiast PCs, workstations, and increasingly, direct-to-chip data center cooling.
• Thermoelectric Coolers (TECs): Solid-state Peltier devices that “pump” heat electrically, used for spot cooling in lab equipment and portable refrigerators.

Real world active cooling example

Rimac Automobili used SimScale to improve the thermal management of their EV batteries which lead to a 96% time saving for simulations as well as improved overall performance.

Read the case study

Choosing Active vs. Passive Cooling: A Design Framework

The decision between active and passive cooling is a trade-off analysis based on key design constraints. There is no single “best” solution, only the most appropriate one.

• Thermal Design Power (TDP) & Heat Flux: This is the starting point. Below ~15W, passive solutions usually suffice. Above 100W, active cooling is almost always necessary. The region between is a complex trade-off zone.
• Environment & Form Factor: High ambient temperatures reduce the effectiveness of all cooling but can render passive solutions inadequate. The available volume will also dictate if a large passive heat sink is even a viable option.
• Acoustics & Vibration: If silent operation is a primary requirement (e.g., medical devices), passive cooling is the clear choice. Fans introduce noise and micro-vibrations that can be problematic for sensitive equipment.
• Reliability & Maintenance (MTBF): Compare the Mean Time Between Failures of a fan (30k-70k hours) against the near-infinite lifespan of a solid heat sink. For products designed to last a decade, a fan is a potential point of failure.
• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): An active solution has ongoing operational costs due to its power consumption. A slightly more expensive passive solution may have a lower TCO over the product’s lifetime.

Often, a hybrid approach is optimal, using a passive heat sink for normal operation and a fan that activates only under peak thermal load.

Simulate Your Active and Passive Cooling Solution with SimScale

Guesswork and over-engineering are not effective design strategies, especially when it comes to implementing hybrid cooling systems . Before committing to expensive tooling, you must validate your design. Cloud-native simulation with SimScale provides the quantitative proof needed to make data-driven decisions.

• De-Risk Your Design: Identify thermal failures in the digital domain to save weeks of time and thousands in wasted prototypes. Integrating CFD simulation early can reduce the number of physical prototypes required to one or a few at max and transform the physical testing into a pure validation step at the end of the design phase.
• Optimize for Performance: Run parametric studies on heat sink fin geometry or fan placement in parallel on the cloud. This allows you to find the configuration that offers the lowest thermal resistance (Rth​) for the lowest mass.
• Visualize the Invisible: Use CFD analysis to get a complete picture of airflow and heat distribution. You can visualize recirculation zones, identify thermal bottlenecks, and ensure your cooling solution performs as intended.
• Quantify with Precision: Move from estimation to prediction. A SimScale thermal simulation provides precise temperature calculations, confirming that a critical processor will be cooled from a dangerous 95°C to a safe 78°C, ensuring you meet reliability targets before manufacturing begins.

Stop gambling with your product’s thermal performance. Start your free trial of SimScale today and discover how cloud-based simulation can help you build more reliable, efficient, and powerful products with confidence.

The post Active vs Passive Cooling appeared first on SimScale.

The focus was the groundbreaking integration of Hexagon’s Marc nonlinear solver into SimScale’s cloud-native simulation platform, making advanced nonlinear FEA more accessible than ever. Here are the top five takeaways from this insightful discussion.

On-Demand Webinar

If the above highlights caught your interest, there are many more to see. Watch the on-demand Engineering Leaders Series webinar from SimScale on Revolutionizing Advanced Non-linear Simulation using Marc and SimScale integration by clicking the link below.

Watch On Demand

1. The Power of Nonlinear Simulation in Modern Engineering

Real-world engineering challenges often involve nonlinear behavior, from material plasticity to large deformations and complex contact interactions. Traditional linear solvers fall short in these scenarios, which is where Marc’s advanced nonlinear capabilities shine. Industries like automotive, industrial machinery, consumer products, and electronics require highly accurate predictions of structural performance, and the Marc solver is designed to tackle these challenges head-on.

2. Why Bringing Marc to the Cloud is a Game-Changer

SimScale’s cloud-native platform already democratizes simulation by removing the need for expensive hardware and complex software setups. By integrating Marc’s industry-leading nonlinear solver, engineers can now run highly sophisticated simulations directly in their browsers with unlimited scalability and instant collaboration. This means faster results, lower costs, and improved design decision-making at any stage of development.

3. Faster, More Robust Simulation Workflows

Nonlinear simulations can be computationally demanding, often requiring extensive fine-tuning. One of the standout benefits of using Marc on SimScale is its robust contact handling and efficiency. During the webinar, Richard Szöke-Schuller highlighted a benchmark study comparing a plastic push pin simulation:

• With traditional solvers, the simulation took almost 2 hours on 8 cores.
• With Marc on SimScale, the same simulation ran in just 13 minutes: an 80%+ reduction in runtime!

This performance boost means engineers can iterate designs faster than ever, enabling more frequent testing and optimization without sacrificing accuracy.

4. Key Applications: From Automotive to Electronics

With Marc’s nonlinear capabilities now available in the cloud, engineering teams can tackle a broad range of real-world applications scalably and more accessibly, including:

• Automotive fasteners & seals: Optimize plastic rivets and push pins with hyperelastic material models.
• Consumer product drop tests: Simulate impact scenarios to improve durability and safety.
• Electronics & PCB design: Evaluate the structural integrity of connectors, casings, and assembled components under varying loads.
• Industrial machinery: Analyze gasket sealing, elastomer components, and high-load assemblies for long-term reliability.

5. How to Get Early Access to Marc on SimScale

This powerful integration is launching soon, and engineers looking to leverage advanced nonlinear simulation in the cloud can apply for our Early Access Program.
By joining, you’ll gain hands-on experience with Marc on SimScale and help shape the future of cloud-based nonlinear analysis.

Learn more about how you can apply for early access here.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Nonlinear Simulation

As the industry moves toward more complex, high-fidelity simulations, integrating powerful solvers like Marc with cloud-native accessibility will redefine how engineers approach structural analysis. SimScale remains committed to providing cutting-edge simulation tools that are fast, flexible, and accessible without the traditional barriers of desktop-based software.

Stay tuned for more updates, and if you missed the live session, be sure to check out the full webinar recording here!

The post Top 5 Webinar Highlights: Hexagon’s Marc Solver Now on the Cloud appeared first on SimScale.

What is Engineering Analysis Software?

Imagine designing an electric vehicle and needing to know exactly how its structure will perform under varying loads. Or consider managing the heat dissipation of a densely packed telecom tower. Engineering analysis software transforms these challenges into solvable tasks by simulating real-world conditions before a single part is built. From validating designs to optimizing performance, this software is indispensable in industries like automotive, electronics, and industrial equipment, where every detail counts.

Here are some key applications and capabilities to address real-world challenges:

• Structural Analysis: Engineers can predict how materials and structures will respond to stresses, strains, and external forces. This is essential in ensuring product durability and safety across applications, from bridges to vehicle components.
• Fluid Dynamics: Simulation of fluid flow, whether for optimizing aerodynamics in vehicles or ensuring efficient cooling systems, helps engineers fine-tune designs for peak performance.
• Thermal Analysis: Managing heat is critical in industries like electronics, where overheating can compromise functionality. Thermal analysis tools allow engineers to design effective heat dissipation systems, ensuring reliability and longevity.
• Multiphysics Simulation: Real-world problems often involve overlapping physical phenomena, such as thermal and structural interactions. Multiphysics tools empower engineers to analyze these complexities in a unified framework, reducing the risk of unexpected failures.

These physics modeling applications enable engineers to make informed decisions, iterate rapidly, and deliver solutions with greater confidence and precision.

Key Features to Look for in Engineering Software

1. Comprehensive Design Visualization and Prototyping

Design space exploration tools enable engineers to predict how changes in design will affect real-world performance. These tools provide a framework for testing edge cases, analyzing trade-offs, and optimizing configurations, allowing engineers to predict real-world outcomes accurately. This ensures that every detail of a design is refined and validated before moving to production, reducing risks and improving overall performance.

Design visualization and virtual prototyping capabilities in SimScale enable engineers to iterate on multiple scenarios rapidly, benefiting from an infinite number of parallel simulations that can be used for parameterization. This capability ensures that the final prototype is robust, cost-effective, and ready for manufacturability, helping engineers meet tight deadlines while maintaining high standards of precision and reliability.

2. Cost Estimation and Manufacturability

Modern engineering tools must incorporate cost estimation and manufacturability analysis to streamline production processes. SimScale’s advanced simulation capabilities allow engineers to assess material usage, assembly challenges, and production feasibility early in the design phase. This proactive approach reduces waste, lowers costs, and ensures that designs can be manufactured without extensive modifications, making workflows more efficient and reliable.

3. Integration with Motion and Stress Analysis Tools

Motion and stress analysis tools are essential for predicting how components will perform under operational conditions. These features help engineers understand load distributions, identify weak points, and verify structural stability. SimScale’s structural analysis tools provide detailed insights into stresses, deformations, and material behavior, ensuring that products meet safety and durability standards. By incorporating these analyses, engineers can eliminate rework and reduce time-to-market.

4. Cloud-Connected Collaboration

Cloud-based solutions enhance collaboration by enabling teams to work together in real time, regardless of geographic location. SimScale’s cloud-native platform offers secure data storage and seamless sharing, allowing stakeholders to review and modify designs collaboratively. Engineers can provide real-time feedback, integrate client inputs, and maintain version control effortlessly. This fosters a cohesive development process, reducing delays caused by miscommunication or siloed workflows.

5. AI Integration for Enhanced Analysis

Artificial intelligence is transforming engineering workflows by automating repetitive tasks, optimizing designs, and improving simulation accuracy. SimScale leverages AI to accelerate simulations, allowing engineers to analyze multiple design scenarios simultaneously and predict simulation results as soon as a CAD is input to the workbench. This capability supports predictive modeling, identifies the most efficient configurations, and contributes to sustainability by optimizing energy and resource use. By integrating AI, SimScale empowers engineers to achieve precise results faster, boosting productivity and innovation.

Categories of Engineering Software for Advanced Analysis

3D Design and CAD Software

Tools like SolidWorks, Fusion 360, and Onshape by PTC are widely used for creating 3D models, CAD/CAM designs, and manufacturability checks. These platforms and software enable engineers to create detailed 3D models, conduct manufacturability checks, and streamline CAD modeling workflows. They simplify the transition from concept to production, enabling precise and efficient product development.

Simulation Software

Simulation software plays a crucial role in validating designs under real-world conditions, allowing engineers to test and refine concepts before committing to physical prototypes. Among well-known tools like ANSYS and COMSOL, SimScale distinguishes itself with its cloud-native approach. This platform enables faster design iterations by allowing engineers to run multiple simulations in parallel, reducing lead times significantly. Its ease of use makes it accessible to both seasoned engineers and those new to simulation, while its scalability supports projects and enterprises of all sizes.

Cloud-Native Engineering Platforms

Cloud-native platforms enhance accessibility and reduce hardware dependencies, enabling engineers to work with greater flexibility and efficiency. SimScale’s platform is optimized for real-time simulation, offering engineers the ability to run detailed analyses and share results without delays. Its real-time collaboration features allow teams to synchronize efforts seamlessly, focusing on tasks like optimizing aerodynamics, enhancing thermal performance, or ensuring structural integrity, all within a single, cohesive workflow.

Industry-Specific Applications of Engineering Software

Engineering software adapts to meet the unique demands of different sectors. Whether tackling the complexities of electric vehicle designs, optimizing telecom infrastructure, or improving industrial water systems, engineering software offers tailored solutions that drive efficiency and innovation.

Engineering Software for the Automotive Industry

SimScale’s cloud-native platform empowers automotive engineers to address critical design challenges across multiple domains. By enabling detailed airflow simulations, for example, engineers can optimize vehicle aerodynamics to reduce drag and improve energy efficiency. Thermal management simulations help refine cooling systems, ensuring optimal performance of EV batteries and power electronics. Additionally, SimScale supports structural analysis to help safeguard structural integrity and durability, which can be critical for safety compliance and long-term reliability. Its ability to handle multiphysics scenarios allows automotive teams to integrate thermal, structural, and fluid dynamics into a single simulation environment, streamlining the design process and accelerating time-to-market.

An automotive supplier of sustainable fastening solutions utilized SimScale to enhance the design of EV battery module connectivity. By running multiple thermal and structural simulations, they were able to validate their design faster, ensuring it met performance and reliability standards. This approach not only accelerated their development process but also minimized the risk of thermal runaway, a common challenge in EV battery systems.

Engineering Software for Electronics

Thermal and structural analyses are critical for ensuring the reliability and performance of electronic devices, especially as systems become more compact and powerful. SimScale provides tools that enable engineers to simulate heat transfer, evaluate cooling strategies, and predict structural behavior under varying loads. With the ability to handle high-fidelity thermal simulations, SimScale helps engineers optimize designs to prevent overheating, improve efficiency, and ensure durability.

Beamlink, for example, used SimScale to redesign its telecom towers. By conducting detailed thermal simulations, they identified and resolved potential heat management issues early in the design process. Additionally, structural analysis performed with SimScale validated the mechanical integrity of their towers, ensuring they could withstand environmental stresses while maintaining optimal functionality. This approach led to a faster design cycle, reduced development costs, and improved product reliability.

Engineering Software for Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

SimScale provides vital tools for improving flow efficiency, thermal performance, and structural durability in industrial equipment. It enables engineers to simulate fluid flow, optimize cooling systems, and ensure the robustness of structural components under various operational conditions. By leveraging SimScale, industrial equipment manufacturers can address challenges related to energy efficiency, sustainability, and reliability.

Nalco Water, a leader in water treatment solutions, faced urgent challenges in improving the efficiency and reliability of industrial water nozzles for high-throughput paper mills. SimScale’s CFD simulations enabled them to analyze and optimize flow distribution, reducing pressure losses and enhancing operational efficiency. This led to a 70% reduction in unplanned downtime, saving approximately $10 million annually. The redesigned nozzle also improved machine stability, product quality, and throughput while reducing material and steam consumption. By leveraging SimScale, Nalco Water achieved a streamlined design process that not only addressed immediate operational challenges but also supported long-term sustainability and cost savings.

SimScale: The Best Tool for Engineering Analysis

Cloud-Native Simulation Leadership

SimScale is a versatile platform designed to revolutionize engineering analysis. With its cloud-native architecture, it enables engineers to simulate complex scenarios without the need for costly hardware, democratizing access to advanced simulation tools. This scalability and ease of use make it suitable for experts and new users alike, transforming how teams approach engineering challenges.

AI Integration

SimScale’s AI capabilities significantly enhance simulation workflows by automating repetitive tasks and improving accuracy. By leveraging predictive modeling, engineers can analyze multiple design iterations more efficiently, leading to faster decision-making and reduced time-to-market.

For example, RLE International, a leading development, technology, and consultation service provider, sought to enhance product design, accelerate development, and reduce costs to remain competitive in the automotive industry. Using SimScale’s AI-powered tools and deploying machine learning models trained within SimScale, RLE obtained accurate aerodynamic parameters like lift, drag, and speed within seconds. As a result, RLE reduced computation costs by 45% and significantly shortened prototyping cycles. These rapid simulations enabled RLE to explore innovative aerodynamic designs while maintaining high efficiency.

Integrating AI and cloud-native simulation tools streamlines engineering workflows, enabling rapid and cost-effective design iterations. These technologies empower engineers to obtain precise results faster, optimize resources, and drive innovation in complex projects.

Accessibility for Education

SimScale also offers free access to students and educators, providing a competitive edge for those entering the engineering field by delivering hands-on experience with professional-grade simulation tools. The platform includes a comprehensive suite of learning resources such as tutorials, and learning videos which provides structured courses in CFD, FEA, and thermal analysis. These resources empower learners to tackle engineering challenges confidently while gaining practical skills applicable to real-world solutions.

SimScale also fosters collaborative opportunities through shared projects, enabling students and educators to work together and build a sense of community. By equipping the next generation with accessible, high-quality educational tools, SimScale ensures that future engineers are well-prepared to innovate and excel.

Driving Engineering Innovation with SimScale

Choosing the right engineering software is vital for staying ahead in today’s competitive environment. Digital engineering is transforming traditional practices, enabling engineers to integrate advanced tools like AI and cloud-native platforms into their workflows. SimScale exemplifies this transformation by combining cloud-native technology, AI-driven simulation, and accessibility into a single platform. Engineers can streamline workflows, iterate faster, and optimize designs with unprecedented precision and efficiency. This digital shift empowers teams to tackle complex projects confidently while staying aligned with modern engineering demands. To explore how SimScale can transform your projects, start a free trial or dive into its case studies to see the platform in action.

The post Top Engineering Software for Advanced Analysis: A Guide to Innovation and Efficiency appeared first on SimScale.

Physics simulation allows engineers to model physical forces, interactions, and behavior digitally. Instead of relying solely on physical prototypes, simulations provide insights faster and at a lower cost. Effective physics modeling software empowers engineers to analyze and optimize designs across multiple domains.

This guide explores physics simulation, its diverse applications, and how SimScale, a cloud-native platform, stands out as a versatile and collaborative physics modeling tool.

What is Physics Simulation and Physics Modeling Software?

Physics simulation is the process of modeling and analyzing how physical systems behave under various conditions. It uses numerical methods to predict responses like fluid flow, thermal distribution, structural deformation, and electromagnetic fields.

Physics modeling software enables engineers to create, run, and analyze these simulations. It provides a digital environment where users define geometries, apply physical parameters, and visualize results.

Key Features of Effective Physics Modeling Software

1. Multiphysics Capabilities: The ability to combine different types of physics (e.g., thermal, structural, and fluid) within a single simulation to capture complex interactions.
2. Flexibility: Support for user-defined physics parameters, allowing engineers to tailor simulations to specific challenges.
3. Ease of Use: Intuitive interfaces and streamlined workflows make advanced simulations accessible, even for those without deep simulation expertise. This focus on user experience helps teams adopt simulation more effectively, leading to better project outcomes.
4. Real-time Collaboration: SimScale’s cloud-native platform enables teams to share simulation results effortlessly. Design engineers, manufacturing teams, and testing departments can access the latest simulation data in real time, ensuring everyone stays aligned.
5. Workflow Efficiency: Integrating simulations into the design process reduces development time. Instead of waiting for physical prototypes, engineers can make real-time adjustments based on simulation insights, accelerating decision-making.

SimScale integrates these features, providing a unified platform where engineers can model complex physical systems, simulate multiple physics domains, and collaborate effectively to achieve precise and actionable insights. By leveraging SimScale, teams can seamlessly bridge the gap between design and simulation, ensuring higher productivity and innovation.

Diverse Engineering Applications of Physics Simulation

SimScale supports a wide range of engineering applications, making it an indispensable tool across various industries, including automotive, industrial equipment, electronics manufacturing, and Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). By enabling simulations for complex physical systems, SimScale helps engineers address challenges in design, optimization, and testing more efficiently. Below is an overview of the physics available in SimScale and how to leverage them in key domains:

1. Structural Mechanics

Structural analysis simulations assess how components handle stresses, loads, and deformations. Engineers use these simulations to ensure designs meet safety and performance standards.

One example of structural analysis using cloud-native simulation is validating the load-bearing capacity of industrial machinery frames. This ensures designs meet safety standards and comply with regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of costly failures in real-world applications.

2. Fluid Flow (CFD)

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models how gases and liquids flow through and around objects. CFD simulations help engineers improve efficiency and performance in fluid-related systems.

For instance, HVAC simulations are essential for engineers looking to optimize airflow and temperature distribution in buildings. By using CFD, engineers can design systems that enhance energy efficiency while maintaining occupant comfort.

3. Heat Transfer

Heat transfer simulations model the distribution of heat within systems, helping engineers design effective cooling or heating solutions.

Thermal simulations are particularly valuable for improving battery thermal management. By modeling thermal distribution, engineers can prevent overheating and enhance the lifespan of electric vehicle batteries, ensuring both performance and safety.

4. Electromagnetics

Electromagnetic simulations predict how electric and magnetic fields interact with components. These simulations are crucial for optimizing electrical devices and minimizing interference.

For example, electromagnetic simulations can help optimize the design of electric motors by modeling the interactions of electric and magnetic fields. This enables engineers to identify inefficiencies, reduce energy losses, and enhance motor performance, ensuring reliable operation and cost savings in the long term.

5. NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) Simulation

NVH simulations evaluate and minimize noise and vibration in mechanical systems. This is especially valuable for automotive engineers seeking to enhance vehicle comfort (user experience) and product quality. For example, by modeling and reducing cabin noise and vibrations, engineers can create smoother and quieter rides, enhancing the overall driving experience for passengers.

SimScale supports all these applications in a single cloud-native platform, making it easier for engineers to switch between different types of simulations seamlessly.

The Role of Physics Simulation in Optimizing Designs

By leveraging the power of the cloud with SimScale, engineers can efficiently identify design flaws early in the development process, significantly reducing the need for physical prototypes. The platform’s ability to explore multiple design variations quickly not only accelerates development cycles but also lowers associated costs and enhances precision and accuracy.

Additionally, the flexibility of SimScale’s user-defined physics capabilities provides engineers with customization capabilities, enabling them to adapt simulations to address unique and specialized challenges and ensure results remain accurate and highly relevant to the problem at hand.

Case Study: Bühler Group

Bühler, a global leader in industrial equipment, leveraged SimScale’s cloud-native simulation to revolutionize their design process. By deploying early-stage simulations across 25 departments, over 100 engineers were able to run simulations online and on demand without capacity limitations. This approach enabled faster design convergence and reduced reliance on physical prototypes, saving both time and costs.

SimScale allowed Bühler to evaluate 60 design variants in just two weeks, a feat that previously required far more time and resources. This rapid iteration capability not only accelerated innovation but also supported bottom-line savings by eliminating the need for expensive hardware and traditional simulation tools. By streamlining workflows and enhancing collaboration across globally distributed teams, Bühler could achieve greater operational efficiency and bring products to market faster. Read more about Bühler’s success here.

“Integrating simulation early in the product development process allows one to better understand the physics and gain confidence in design choices. With SimScale, every design engineer has access to simulation.”

Clément Zémerli Senior Simulation Engineer in Corporate Technology at Bühler

Advanced Model Management Capabilities

SimScale’s advanced model management tools provide engineers with the capabilities to organize, track, and collaborate on their simulation projects seamlessly. These features are designed to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and ensure precision throughout the simulation process.

SimScale’s model management capabilities stand out by providing:

• Version Control: Engineers can manage and track multiple iterations of their simulations, ensuring no critical updates are lost, and previous iterations remain accessible.
• Collaboration Tools: Customizable user permissions allow teams to collaborate securely, ensuring data integrity even with multiple contributors.
• Search and Organization: Engineers benefit from features such as tags, filters, and efficient search functions, enabling them to organize and locate simulation files with ease.
• Cloud-Native Integration: All model data is stored securely in the cloud, making it accessible from any location and removing the need for specialized hardware setups.
• AI-Powered Simulation Insights: SimScale leverages artificial intelligence to analyze simulation data, offering engineers predictive insights and optimization suggestions. This feature accelerates decision-making by identifying potential performance improvements or design flaws early in the process.

These tools empower engineers to streamline project workflows and make informed decisions efficiently.

Guided Simulation Workflows for Efficient Modeling

SimScale’s guided simulation workflows allow simulation experts to create templates and standardized processes. These workflows ensure consistency and help non-experts perform reliable simulations.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Import your CAD file into a SimScale template.
2. Adjust simulation parameters based on your company design guide.
3. Run the simulation in the cloud and get instant, standardized results.
4. Access, track, and share your results in SimScale from anywhere and with any team member.
5. Sync your results with your PLM system for seamless integration into your workflow.

Benefits of Guided Templates

• Efficiency: Standardized workflows reduce setup time.
• Accuracy: Templates ensure simulations are performed correctly.
• Collaboration: Teams can follow established processes, enhancing teamwork.

More about SimScale’s guided simulation workflows here.

The Power of Multiphysics Simulation in SimScale

SimScale’s Multiphysics simulation in the cloud allows engineers to model multiple physical phenomena in a single comprehensive analysis. This provides a more accurate representation of real-world behavior.

It also enables flexibility and a seamless combination of analyses, all in a single workbench. SimScale’s “One Platform, Broad Physics” approach enables engineers to combine different physics types, such as thermal, structural, electromagnetic, and fluid simulations, to analyze complex interactions within a design.

Here are some real-world examples:

• EV Motor Development: Analyze heat, stress, magnetic flux, and fluid interactions to optimize motor performance.
• Battery Thermal Management: Ensure efficient cooling in battery packs to prevent overheating.
• Fluid Flow Optimization: Improve industrial processes by modeling fluid dynamics accurately.

Give SimScale a Try?

Physics simulation enables engineers to overcome design challenges with precision and speed, making it an indispensable tool in modern engineering. By providing access to multiphysics analysis, guided workflows, and real-time collaboration, SimScale ensures engineers can streamline their processes and achieve optimized designs faster and more effectively.

Explore SimScale’s comprehensive resources for more information, or start simulating today by clicking the button below.

The post Physics Modeling Software: The Ultimate Guide to Physics Simulation appeared first on SimScale.

ICs are fundamental to all microelectronic designs (in smartphones, laptops, industrial automation, medical devices, aerospace systems, etc).

Efficiency, reliability, and thermal management are at the heart of integrated circuit design, as they directly influence the performance and lifespan of the chip. A well-designed IC must balance power usage, maintain consistent operation, and effectively dissipate heat to avoid failures or degradation.

Key Components of Integrated Circuit (IC)

Integrated circuits function by leveraging the collaborative roles of their key components—transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes—on a compact silicon substrate.

In digital ICs, transistors toggle between on and off states to process binary data, while in analog ICs, they amplify or modify signals for precise output. Their rapid switching capability and scalability make transistors the driving force behind the IC’s functionality.

Resistors adjust signal levels and protect sensitive components by limiting current. Capacitors, on the other hand, store and discharge electrical energy, playing a critical role in filtering noise, smoothing power supply variations, and enabling signal timing adjustments. Diodes contribute by directing current flow and managing signal modulation.

In complex printed circuit boards (PCBs), components like transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes are arranged across multiple layers to accommodate high-density interconnections and optimize performance.

Thermal management through thermal vias (plated holes that transfer heat from hot layers to cooler ones) and heat sinks prevents overheating.

Types of Integrated Circuits and Key Components

Integrated circuits can be functionally classified into three main categories: digital, analog, and mixed ICs. Each type serves specific operational needs and applications.

Digital Integrated Circuit

Digital ICs process discrete signals, working exclusively with binary data—0s and 1s. They are ideal for computational tasks, logic operations, and data storage. Below are some of its applications:

• Microprocessors and microcontrollers
• Memory units (RAM, ROM, Flash)
• Logic gates and digital signal processors (DSPs)
• Embedded systems and IoT devices
• Communication systems (e.g., routers, switches)

Analog Integrated Circuit

Analog ICs operate with continuous signals, amplifying or processing voltage and current for applications. They offer precision and adaptability in translating natural phenomena into usable electronic signals. Here are some common applications:

• Audio amplifiers and signal processing devices
• Power management systems (e.g., voltage regulators)
• RF circuits in communication systems
• Medical instrumentation (e.g., ECG amplifiers)

Mixed Integrated Circuit

Mixed ICs combine digital and analog functions within a single chip, enabling complex tasks like analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) and digital-to-analog conversion (DAC).
While their hybrid nature delivers unmatched functionality, it also makes them more complex and cost-intensive to design and manufacture. Applications include:

• Smartphones and wearable devices
• Automotive systems (e.g., infotainment, sensors)
• Industrial automation and control systems
• Communication modules integrating RF and digital processing

Design Principles and Challenges in IC Design

IC design demands precision, with thermal management a critical priority to ensure performance and reliability. Here are five key factors to consider:

1. Power Management

Effective power management in ICs requires precise regulation and distribution to maintain stability and efficiency. Integrated voltage regulators ensure consistent supply levels, safeguarding transistors and logic gates from transient fluctuations that could disrupt operation.

Power and ground planes within the PCB layout provide low-impedance paths to handle current flow while minimizing noise.

Decoupling capacitors, strategically placed near active components, filter high-frequency noise and stabilize voltage at critical nodes.

2. Signal Integrity

In IC design, electric signals should maintain their quality and timing as they propagate through the circuit. High-frequency designs demand precise control over propagation delays to prevent timing mismatches that can disrupt functionality. Here are some common considerations:

• Crosstalk, a common issue in tightly packed layouts, should be minimized by careful spacing and using ground planes to isolate signal paths.
• For clock signal distribution, skew reduction techniques such as matching trace lengths and impedance are critical to maintaining synchronized signal timing across the circuit.
• Low-dielectric/highly conductive materials are increasingly used in interconnects to minimize resistive losses and ensure sharp signal transmission.

3. Thermal Management

Excessive heat buildup can cause shifts in operating parameters, degrade components, and even lead to complete failure. Poor thermal management risks damaging sensitive parts and forcing the system to operate outside its designed temperature range.

Engineers dissipate the heat efficiently to keep the operating temperature within safe limits. A low thermal resistance ensures better heat transfer, keeping the IC cooler during operation. Operating temperatures of the IC materials are designed to stay within specific limits.

PCB passive cooling mechanism has become an integral design choice. By integrating thermal vias and copper planes into the board layout, the PCB dissipates heat away from hotspots and distributes it across the layers. It reduces the dependency on external heat sinks or active cooling systems while maintaining the compact footprint required in modern IC designs.

External heat sinks remain a standard solution, especially in applications where high power density demands active heat dissipation.

Heat pipes are also a solid option for moving heat fast in compact systems. They work by transferring heat from the source to a cooler area using phase-change materials. For even more control, Peltier effect cooling plates can pull heat away directly using thermoelectric technology.

4. Miniaturization

The goal is to create smaller, more compact IC designs while maximizing power output—a concept known as power density. Careful optimization of the form factor (physical dimensions, shape, and layout) ensures the IC delivers high performance without increasing its physical footprint.

Compact designs are particularly critical in applications like portable electronics, IoT devices, and advanced computing systems, where space constraints are non-negotiable.

5. Durability

Mechanical stresses, such as those caused by temperature cycling, vibration, or physical impacts, can lead to microcracks in the package or bonding wires. Thermal stresses accelerate material fatigue and degrade the performance of critical components.

Electrical stresses, including voltage spikes and power surges, can push the IC beyond its operating limits, leading to breakdowns in transistors or interconnects.

Durability also involves optimizing the PCB layout and package design to distribute stress evenly and reduce localized strain.

The Role of Simulation in Integrated Circuit Design

Simulation enables engineers to create compact, high-performance circuits with greater precision than traditional validation methods. Engineers can simulate complex IC designs to manage thermal performance, minimizing hotspots and ensuring signal integrity.

SimScale offers a powerful yet accessible platform for IC design. Its thermal management software is particularly effective for applications where heat and energy are critical, such as PCBs with anisotropic material properties. It also supports thermomechanical analysis with multiphysics capabilities to evaluate stress and deformation caused by thermal expansion.

Engineers can run multiphysics simulations within minutes, combining thermal and structural analysis. It helps them identify potential hotspots and predict how these areas could impact the overall durability of the design.

IC Design Optimization in the Cloud

Cloud-based simulation tools, like SimScale, provide engineers with powerful capabilities to analyze and refine their designs using transient thermal analysis.

In a recent PCB design study in SimScale, nine chips were tested under varying conditions to observe how temperature and heat flux changed over time. For five chips, temperature changes were mapped by uploading time-dependent data tables, while the remaining chips had surface heat fluxes modeled similarly.

These images illustrate how temperature evolves over time in a PCB thermal simulation.

The next two images depict how surface heat flux varies over time.

These simulations allowed engineers to visualize temperature distributions on both the top and bottom of the PCB, offering insights into how heat flows through the system over time. The results highlighted areas requiring design improvements, which were integrated into the CAD model and re-tested iteratively until optimal performance was achieved.

Conclusion

Effective IC design means creating functional components while adapting to ever-shrinking form factors and rising demands for reliability.

SimScale allows engineers to predict and resolve challenges before they become costly mistakes.

Start simulating today with SimScale. No installation or credit card required.

Main Contributor: Muhammad Faizan Khan

The post Integrated Circuit Design, Types & Simulation appeared first on SimScale.

With engineering simulation now a critical part of motor testing, engineers can analyze thermal behavior, predict electromagnetic performance, and identify design flaws before physical testing even begins. In this guide, we will explore how to test an electric motor, its advantages, and the different test methods that guarantee safety and efficiency.

Introduction to Electric Motor Testing

Electric motor testing is the process of evaluating the performance, reliability, and safety of an electric motor before manufacturing begins. It includes testing factors like electrical parameters, mechanical integrity, and thermal stability to ensure the motor runs well over the long haul.

Electric motor-driven systems consume around 46% of the world’s produced electricity. When a motor underperforms, it directly hits efficiency, safety, and operational costs.

We’re not talking about the price tag of just the motor itself here—that’s a drop in the bucket compared to what it costs to operate and maintain it. To truly understand the expense of an electric motor, you have to look at the Total Cost of Ownership (COO), which is broken down like this:

COO = Purchase Price + Cost of running + Cost of not running

The cost of operating the motor—think energy consumption and routine maintenance—often makes up about 70–95% of the total expense over its service life, which could span 20 years or more.

Before building a physical prototype, a simulation-driven electric motor design lets you optimize performance parameters and spot potential issues. Running virtual tests on your motor helps you see into the future—how your electric motor will perform five years down the line after continuous load variations and environmental stresses.

Types of Electric Motor Tests

Electric motors endure a wide range of stresses, so they must be tested mechanically, electrically, and thermally to ensure optimal performance and longevity.

Electrical and Electromagnetic Testing

Electric and electromagnetic testing ensures that the motor’s electrical parameters align with design specs and that the electromagnetic interactions within the motor are optimized for efficiency and minimal losses.

Proper analysis can prevent potential issues like electromagnetic interference, unexpected power loss, or thermal overheating, which could ultimately lead to motor failure or sub-optimal performance.

Engineers should pay close attention to the following parameters when running electrical and electromagnetic tests:

• Winding resistance and inductance: Evaluate copper losses and magnetic behavior
• Insulation resistance: Ensure no short circuits develop between the windings and motor frame
• Magnetic flux density: Measure the strength of the magnetic field within the motor, impacting torque and efficiency
• Electromagnetic field distribution: Identify potential hotspots and irregularities in magnetic field lines

SimScale is a cloud-based simulation platform that allows engineers to analyze and optimize electric motor designs through various electromagnetic simulation tools, including magnetostatics, time-harmonic magnetics (AC magnetics), and electrostatics.

These tools enable the visualization and analysis of key parameters like magnetic fields, current densities, and electric charges, allowing for parallel simulations and design iterations to improve motor efficiency and performance before physical prototyping.

Mechanical Testing

Mechanical testing identifies how the motor’s components behave under mechanical loads, including rotational forces and vibrations. It’s usually done using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a powerful simulation tool for evaluating the physical properties of an electric motor’s components.

A well-designed mechanical structure ensures the motor runs smoothly, minimizes noise and wear, and maintains performance over its lifespan.

Engineers need to analyze the following mechanical parameters to ensure the motor’s structural reliability:

• Bearing load and life expectancy: Assess the distribution of forces on bearings to avoid premature wear
• Thermal expansion and stress: Analyze how temperature changes affect material properties and structural integrity
• Fatigue analysis: Study how repeated loads impact motor components over time to predict potential failures
• Torque and rotational forces: Measure forces exerted on components to ensure efficient transfer of power
• Mechanical resonance: Identify natural frequencies that could lead to destructive vibrations under certain loads

SimScale provides cloud-based mechanical simulation tools for engineers to analyze structural behavior in electric motor components. Its capabilities include static stress and deformation analysis, dynamic response to shock or vibrations, and modal analysis to identify natural frequencies.

Additionally, it allows thermomechanical simulations to assess how temperature changes impact motor structures, offering a comprehensive approach to optimizing designs before prototyping.

Thermal Testing

Heat is a critical factor in electric motor performance and, if not properly managed, can lead to component degradation, reduced efficiency, and, eventually, motor failure.

Motors must effectively dissipate heat to maintain optimal performance, as excessive temperatures can damage windings, bearings, and insulation. Thermal testing is essential in assessing how well a motor handles heat over time.

For comprehensive thermal analysis, engineers should evaluate:

• Heat dissipation efficiency: Assess how effectively the motor can release heat into its surroundings
• Temperature rise in windings: Monitor winding temperature to prevent insulation breakdown and motor burnout
• Thermal conductivity of materials: Evaluate how different materials conduct heat within motor components
• Ambient temperature and cooling methods: Understand the effect of surrounding temperature and cooling techniques like convection, conduction, and radiation
• Thermal gradients: Identify temperature differences across different sections of the motor that could lead to mechanical stress
• Hot spots and thermal resistance: Detect areas of high thermal concentration and resistance paths to optimize heat flow

SimScale’s platform offers comprehensive simulation tools for thermal management, allowing engineers to analyze heat transfer through conduction in solids, convection in fluids, and radiative heat transfer.

The platform can simulate various scenarios, including forced and natural convection, cooling efficiency, and the effect of thermal loads on mechanical structures.

Performance Testing

Performance testing evaluates an electric motor’s operational characteristics to ensure it meets its designed capabilities. The goal is to simulate real-world conditions and validate that the motor performs optimally throughout its expected load range and applications.

The following key performance tests reveal how well a motor can maintain torque, speed, and efficiency across its working range, helping engineers optimize its design for consistent and reliable performance.

• Load Testing: This test measures the motor’s response under various load conditions to understand its behavior under full, half, or overload scenarios. It identifies any drop in performance, helping engineers verify that the motor can handle its rated load without overheating or excessive vibration.
• Torque Measurement: This test assesses the torque the motor produces at different operating speeds and load levels. This is crucial for understanding how well the motor can drive its intended application, particularly in dynamic systems where torque variations can significantly impact performance.
• Speed vs. Load Characteristics: This test evaluates the motor’s ability to maintain consistent speed as the load changes. In real-world applications, motors may experience fluctuating loads, so understanding how speed varies with load is vital for ensuring stable performance.
• Efficiency Testing: This test analyzes the motor’s ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical output. Here, the focus is on parameters like power factor, losses (electrical, mechanical, and thermal), and overall efficiency to maximize performance and minimize energy costs over the motor’s lifecycle.

Electric Motor Testing Standards

Electric motor testing is governed by several key standards to ensure safety, reliability, and compliance across various applications. These standards are developed by organizations such as:

• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
• NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association)
• IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)
• BSI (British Standards Institution)
• JISC (Japanese Industrial Standards Committee)

Each organization sets guidelines for testing procedures, performance benchmarks, and safety requirements.

Engineers must understand and follow the appropriate standards as they vary based on motor type, intended application, and geographical region. For instance, testing requirements for motors used in explosive environments (ATEX) differ significantly from those for standard industrial applications.

Likewise, motors destined for the North American market may need to comply with NEMA standards, while those aimed at a global market may need to align with IEC regulations.

Advantages of Using SimScale for Motor Testing and Optimization

Optimizing motor performance is crucial in many engineering applications today, where time and cost constraints demand efficient solutions. SimScale’s cloud-native platform streamlines electric motor testing by enabling scalable simulations, real-time collaboration, and comprehensive multiphysics analysis. These tools help engineers identify issues early, make faster adjustments, and reduce the need for extensive physical testing.

Here are some key advantages of using SimScale to optimize motor performance:

• Scalability: Run multiple simulations simultaneously without investing in costly hardware, leveraging the power of cloud computing.
• Real-time collaboration: Collaborate with team members on motor testing projects remotely, sharing projects in real-time with editing capabilities to enhance workflow efficiency.
• Multiphysics simulation: Analyze the motor’s electrical, mechanical, and thermal interactions together to gain a complete understanding of performance under varied conditions.
• Shorter development cycles: Identify performance issues early in the design phase through simulation, enabling quicker optimization and reducing the need for extensive physical prototyping.
• Reduced costs: Lower expenses associated with physical testing, hardware setup, and prototyping by relying on accurate and fast virtual simulations.
• Quicker iterations: Make rapid design changes and test modifications swiftly without long delays between iterations, leading to more refined end products.
• Parallel testing and Parameterization: Run multiple test scenarios at the same time to explore different design variables and conditions, optimizing the motor faster and more effectively.

A case study on SimScale’s platform showcases the structural and vibration analysis of an electric motor support bracket. Engineers ran a modal analysis to ensure the bracket’s natural frequencies were outside the motor’s operating speed, preventing damage and resonance issues.

SimScale’s cloud-native platform allowed for quick CAD changes, shifting the first eigenfrequency away from potential risk zones. The engineers also checked the motor shaft’s safety factor under applied torque to confirm that it met stress limits.

Using finite element analysis (FEA), the cloud platform enabled easy CAD imports, automated meshing, and seamless simulation setup. The bracket’s vibration behavior and the shaft’s structural integrity were assessed, providing key data on stresses, displacements, and frequencies to optimize the design and ensure safe operation under real-world conditions.

How to Test an Electric Motor in SimScale: A Step-by-Step Guide

This guide will help you understand how to set up your simulation in SimScale, use the platform’s tools effectively, and gain insights into motor behavior under different conditions.

Step 1: Import Your CAD Model

Begin by importing the CAD model of your electric motor or any components you want to test. SimScale supports all CAD formats and integrates with tools like Onshape, Solidworks, Autodesk Fusion 360, and more (See the full integrations list here).

You can also perform basic CAD operations directly in SimScale, making quick adjustments without leaving the platform.

Step 2: Create and Set Up a Mesh

Once your geometry is ready, create a mesh to discretize the model into smaller elements for simulation. SimScale provides automated meshing options tailored to different simulation needs, including Snappy Hex Mesh for internal flow analysis and tetrahedral meshing for more complex shapes.

Mesh fineness can be set automatically, with control over layers near walls to ensure accurate results.

Step 3: Define Simulation Type

Choose the type of simulation based on your analysis goal—structural mechanics, thermal behavior, fluid flow, or acoustic analysis. For electric motors, common choices include:

• Thermal Simulation to assess heat transfer and cooling
• Modal Analysis to identify natural frequencies and avoid resonance
• Static or Dynamic Mechanical Analysis to evaluate load responses or vibrations
• Electromagnetic Simulation to study electromagnetic interference and behavior

Step 4: Assign Materials and Properties

Assign appropriate material properties from SimScale’s materials library, which includes standard parameters like density, thermal conductivity, and elasticity. You can also customize properties to meet specific needs.

Materials should be accurately defined for the motor components (e.g., shaft, casing) to ensure realistic simulation results.

Step 5: Set Initial and Boundary Conditions

Define how your motor will interact with its surroundings by setting initial and boundary conditions. These include inlet and outlet flow rates, torque loads on the shaft, fixed or rotating components, and temperature gradients for thermal analysis.

Accurately setting these parameters is crucial as they define the real-world operating conditions for your simulation.

Step 6: Run the Simulation

SimScale’s cloud-native platform allows for parallel processing, so you can run multiple simulations simultaneously without needing powerful local hardware.

During this phase, the platform will solve the governing equations for the defined conditions, and you’ll be able to track progress and convergence plots in real time.

Step 7: Post-Processing and Analyzing Results

Once the simulation is complete, use SimScale’s post-processing tools to visualize results. You can evaluate pressure distribution, temperature profiles, displacement magnitudes, and stress-strain responses across different components of your electric motor.

The platform supports slicing, streamlines, and custom plots to better understand your motor’s performance.

Conclusion

You can identify potential performance issues early on by simulating your electric motor’s behavior under various electrical, mechanical, and thermal stresses. SimScale brings all these testing capabilities to your fingertips. Instead of spending time and money on physical prototypes and lengthy test cycles, you can use SimScale’s cloud-based platform to run parallel simulations, tweak designs quickly, and ensure your motor meets all performance and safety standards.

If you’re ready to take your motor testing to the next level, try SimScale for free, or check out our guided demo to see how it can help you design better, more reliable motors.

The post How to Test an Electric Motor: Tools and Methods appeared first on SimScale.

On-Demand Webinar

If these highlights caught your interest, there are many more to see. Watch the on-demand Simulation Expert Series webinar from SimScale on Cloud-Native Simulation for Consumer & Power Electronics by clicking the link below.

Watch On Demand

1. Efficient Design of Wireless Charging Devices

Matthew Bemis, Senior Application Engineer at SimScale, demonstrated how cloud-native simulation can optimize wireless charging devices, such as smartphone holders. By analyzing electromagnetic, thermal, and structural performance, SimScale enables engineers to improve power transfer efficiency, thermal management, and structural stability—all in one platform.

2. Multiphysics Capabilities Streamline Innovation

One of the standout features is SimScale’s ability to integrate multiple sets of physics, including time-harmonic electromagnetic analysis, conjugate heat transfer, and structural analysis. This allows engineers to explore the interplay between different physical phenomena—such as heat generation and electromagnetic interference—without switching platforms or tools, saving both time and resources.

3. Impact of Material Selection on Performance

The session highlighted how material choices, such as using ferrite shields, can significantly improve device performance by enhancing magnetic flux density and reducing heat losses. Through real-time analysis, designers can iterate quickly, testing different materials and configurations to achieve optimal performance without physical prototypes.

4. Enhanced Collaboration and Cloud-Native Advantages

SimScale’s cloud-native platform offers seamless collaboration, allowing teams across different time zones to work on the same project simultaneously. Engineers can access simulations anywhere with an internet connection, ensuring faster project turnarounds and eliminating the need for specialized hardware or software installations.

5. Automated Analysis for Faster Results

A key benefit of using SimScale is its ability to run multiple simulations in parallel, drastically reducing lead times. For example, users can conduct a range of tests—such as varying ambient temperatures for thermal analysis—simultaneously, leading to quicker decision-making and design optimization.

Driving Innovation in Electronics with Simulation

The future of consumer and power electronics hinges on the ability to innovate quickly and efficiently. Cloud-native simulation, with its multiphysics capabilities and real-time collaboration, is transforming the design process. Engineers can now explore design variations, optimize material choices, and ensure thermal stability at unprecedented speeds. Companies that adopt these tools will be well-positioned to lead in an increasingly competitive electronics market. The question is: Are you ready to embrace the future of simulation?

The post Top 5 Webinar Highlights: Cloud-Native Simulation for Consumer & Power Electronics appeared first on SimScale.

Structural resonance occurs when a structure’s natural frequency aligns with external vibration forces, leading to potentially dangerous oscillations. To prevent such occurrences, resonance mitigation is essential. This involves designing and implementing strategies to minimize the impact of resonant frequencies on structures. One of the most effective ways to achieve resonance mitigation is through simulation and analysis early in the design process.

By using advanced cloud-native simulation tools like SimScale, engineers can identify potential resonance issues during the design phase and make necessary adjustments before physical testing. In this article, we will delve into the causes of structural resonance, its effects on various structures, and how engineering simulation can be utilized to mitigate these risks, ensuring safer and more reliable designs.

What Is Structural Resonance?

Resonance takes place when an object or system is subjected to oscillations at its natural frequency, causing it to vibrate with a larger amplitude. In design terms, structural resonance occurs when the frequency of external forces (like wind, machinery, or seismic activity) aligns with the structure’s natural frequency, resulting in amplified oscillations and vibrations.

Every structure has a natural frequency—a frequency at which it naturally vibrates. When external forces match this frequency, resonance occurs. This can lead to significant amplification of the vibrations, potentially causing damage or failure.

For a detailed description of natural frequency, check out our dedicated article: What is Natural Frequency?

Case Study: Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Module

Consider an electric vehicle (EV) battery module. Essential yet classified as “dangerous goods,” batteries are highly sensitive to conditions such as shocks and vibrations. Nearly all lithium batteries must comply with the UN 38.3 international transportation standard, which includes rigorous vibration tests to ensure safety during transportation.

Using SimScale, engineers can simulate these conditions and perform structural analyses to predict how their battery designs will respond. By identifying potential resonance frequencies and evaluating stresses and deformations, designers can make necessary adjustments to improve the battery’s performance and safety before physical testing.

Mathematical Formulation of Structural Resonance

Structural resonance can be described using the principles of dynamics and vibrations. The equation of motion for a damped harmonic oscillator is:

$$ mx¨+cx˙+kx=F(t) $$

Where:

• \(m\) is the mass of the structure,
• \(c\) is the damping coefficient,
• \(k\) is the stiffness of the structure,
• \(x\) is the displacement,
• \(x˙\) is the velocity,
• \(x¨\) is the acceleration,
• \(F(t)\) is the external force as a function of time.

Natural Frequency and Damping

The natural frequency (\(\omega_n\)) of the system is given by:

$$ \omega_n = \sqrt{\frac{k}{m}} $$

The damping ratio (\(\zeta\)) is defined as:

$$ \zeta = \frac{c}{2\sqrt{mk}} $$

Response to External Forces

When an external periodic force (\(F(t)=F_o \sin(\omega t)\)) is applied, where (\(\omega\)) is the frequency of the external force, the steady-state response (\(x(t)\)) can be analyzed. The amplitude of the response (\(X\)) is:

$$ X(\omega) = \frac{F_o}{m} \sqrt{\frac{1}{(\omega_n^2 – \omega^2)^2 + (2 \zeta \omega_n \omega)^2}} $$

Understanding these mathematical formulations helps engineers predict how structures will respond to different forces and design them to avoid resonant frequencies.

Cause of Structural Resonance

Structural resonance results in damage because it amplifies oscillations when the structure’s natural frequency matches the frequency of external vibrations. This can be caused by various external forces, including:

• Machinery: Equipment and machinery operating at specific frequencies can transfer vibrations to surrounding structures.
• Wind: Strong winds can induce vibrations in tall structures like skyscrapers and bridges.
• Seismic Activity: Earthquakes can cause ground movements that match the natural frequencies of buildings and other structures.

When a structure enters resonance, the energy from the external vibrations is absorbed and accumulated by the structure, causing it to oscillate with increasing amplitude. This amplification happens because the input energy from the external force continually adds to the structure’s vibration energy at its natural frequency. As the amplitude of the oscillations increases, so do the stresses and strains within the structural components.

This happens due to the structure’s inability to effectively dissipate or dampen the absorbed energy. Often, this is due to insufficient analysis or simulation of resonance during the design phase, leading to a lack of certainty in ensuring a robust design. Proper damping mechanisms must be incorporated into the design to mitigate these effects based on simulation results.

Effects of Structural Resonance

Structural resonance can have several detrimental effects on structures, such as:

Reduced Performance

When a structure experiences resonance, its performance can be significantly compromised. For example, machinery or equipment operating at resonant frequencies may not function as intended, leading to inefficiencies. In the case of rotating machinery, resonance can cause imbalances and misalignments, reducing the precision and effectiveness of the machine.

Increased Vibrations

Resonance leads to amplified oscillations, causing the structure to vibrate more intensely than under normal conditions. These increased vibrations can be felt throughout the structure, affecting the primary components and any connected systems. In machinery, excessive vibrations can cause premature wear and tear on components, leading to a shorter lifespan and increased downtime.

This phenomenon is part of what engineers refer to as Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) analysis. NVH analysis is the study of how noise and vibrations affect the comfort, performance, and durability of mechanical systems and structures. It involves measuring and analyzing the levels of sound and vibration produced by various components to identify sources of unwanted noise and vibrations. By addressing NVH issues, engineers can improve the overall quality and reliability of their designs, ensuring a quieter, smoother, and more durable performance.

Noise

Resonance in structural dynamics often results in increased noise levels. The vibrations can cause various parts of the structure to emit sound, leading to a noisy environment. This is not only a nuisance but can also pose health risks to individuals exposed to high noise levels over extended periods. In industrial settings, noise from resonance can interfere with communication and increase the risk of accidents.

Structural Fatigue

Constant exposure to resonant vibrations can lead to structural fatigue. This occurs when repeated cyclic loading causes the material to weaken over time. Even if the vibrations are not severe enough to cause immediate damage, the cumulative effect can lead to the development of microcracks and eventual failure.

Component Failure

Amplified vibrations from resonance can cause individual components within a structure to fail. Fasteners may loosen, welds may crack, and joints may weaken. In electrical systems, connectors and circuits can become damaged due to the mechanical stresses induced by vibrations. Component failure can lead to system-wide breakdowns, requiring significant repairs and replacements.

Higher Maintenance Costs

All the issues caused by structural resonance—reduced performance, increased vibrations, noise structural fatigue, and component failure—translate into higher maintenance costs. Frequent repairs and replacements are necessary to address the damage caused by resonance. Regular inspections and monitoring are also required to identify and mitigate resonance issues before they lead to significant failures. These maintenance activities can be costly and time-consuming, affecting the overall cost-effectiveness of the structure.

Vibration Analysis for Structural Resonance

Vibration analysis is a critical process for detecting, monitoring, and preventing structural resonance in machinery and structures. Vibration analysis examines how structures respond to dynamic forces. By analyzing vibration signal patterns, engineers can identify irregularities that may indicate resonance.

Here’s how vibration analysis helps detect structural resonance:

• Identifying Natural Frequencies: Every structure has natural frequencies at which it tends to vibrate. Vibration analysis helps pinpoint these frequencies, allowing engineers to predict and avoid resonance conditions.
• Understanding Mode Shapes: Mode shapes describe how a structure deforms at specific frequencies. Analyzing mode shapes helps identify areas that are prone to resonance.
• Evaluating Damping Characteristics: Effective damping dissipates vibration energy. Vibration analysis assesses how well a structure can dampen vibrations, which is crucial for mitigating resonance.
• Assessing Stress and Displacement: This analysis calculates stress and displacement under dynamic loads, revealing potential structural weaknesses and failure points.
• Visualizing Eigenmodes: Eigenmodes represent natural vibration modes. By visualizing them, engineers can understand how a structure behaves under dynamic conditions.

Vibration analysis simulation differs from static analysis by focusing on the structure’s response to dynamic and varying forces. In contrast, static analysis evaluates the structure under constant, steady loads and does not account for dynamic effects, making it less effective for identifying potential resonance issues.

Using Engineering Simulation to Mitigate Structural Resonance

SimScale is a powerful tool for engineers, reinforcing structural mechanics simulation capabilities with cloud computing. It enables running parallel simulations, which significantly reduces analysis time. Engineers can access FEA simulations anytime, anywhere through a web browser, avoiding manual upgrades, installations, and associated fees.

SimScale allows for detailed analysis of vibration patterns to identify irregularities in mechanical systems. With its FEA modal analysis powered by the Code_Aster solver, SimScale computes a structure’s natural frequencies and corresponding oscillation mode shapes.

Case Study: TechSAT Aerospace Engineering

TechSAT, an aerospace engineering firm, used SimScale’s simulation tools to evaluate an airborne electronics housing unit’s response to vibrations, which is crucial for compliance with RTCA DO-160G standards.

They identified natural frequencies and mode shapes by performing frequency and harmonic analyses, optimizing the design to minimize PCB deflection and ensure structural integrity.

Comparing bolted flanges and full rack support, they found that the latter reduced deflection by 18%. These simulations allowed TechSAT to refine its design early, reduce physical prototyping, and expedite product development, leading to safer, more reliable components.

“After evaluating several tools, we found SimScale to be fast and easy to use as well as being cheaper compared to others with the same capabilities. We saved over €15K in licensing and hardware costs by opting for the fully cloud-native solution by SimScale.”

Mar Sanchez, Mechanical Engineer at TechSAT

Use SimScale for Resonance Mitigation

Ready to make your designs safer and more reliable? With SimScale, you can easily perform advanced vibration analyses right in your web browser.
Save time, reduce costs, and improve your designs with our powerful cloud-based simulation tools.

Main Contributor: Muhammad Faizan Khan

The post Structural Resonance: How to Mitigate it? appeared first on SimScale.

This development has occurred alongside advancements in the computer industry and the refinement of engineering processes. Traditionally associated with the manufacturing sector, simulation has played a critical role in enhancing production efficiency and capacity. In its early days, simulation was largely inaccessible due to its time-consuming nature, ambiguous models, and the need for highly specialized experts, making it prohibitively expensive.

The landscape began to change in the 1970s with the adoption of computing algorithms, modern programming languages, and improved visualization tools. These advancements made simulation models more reliable, easier to create, and clearer to interpret. Enhanced computational power over the following years and decades allowed for more complex simulations, while better graphics provided intuitive insights, making simulation an integral part of various industries.

Today, simulation technology continues to advance, integrating with emerging technologies like AI and machine learning to further optimize engineering processes and drive innovation. As we delve into the generational shifts in engineering simulation, it becomes evident that simulation has expanded in accessibility, cost-effectiveness, scalability, and innovation enablement.

Generation 1: Dedicated Expert Simulation Tools

The first generation of advanced engineering simulation tools emerged in the latter half of the 20th century. These tools were sophisticated, highly specialized, and designed for expert use. They provided detailed and accurate simulations, enabling engineers to predict the behavior of complex systems under various conditions. However, these tools were not without their limitations:

• Expert-Driven: The tools required high expertise to operate, limiting their use to specialized engineers. This exclusivity created a bottleneck, as only a small group within the company could utilize these powerful tools effectively. It also led to a knowledge gap between simulation experts and other engineering team members, potentially hindering collaboration and innovation.
• High Cost: The software was expensive, often requiring substantial investment in both the software itself and the hardware needed to run it. Companies had to allocate significant portions of their budgets to acquire and maintain these tools, including the initial purchase price and ongoing costs for updates, training, and support. This financial barrier meant that only larger companies with significant resources could afford to implement these tools effectively.
• Isolated Operation: These tools operated independently of other engineering processes, leading to inefficiencies and potential miscommunications. The lack of integration with other design and analysis tools meant that data had to be manually transferred between systems and teams, increasing the risk of errors and data loss. This siloed approach also made it difficult to create a cohesive workflow, as simulation results were not easily accessible to other team members or departments.

Despite these challenges, dedicated expert simulation tools laid the foundation for modern simulation capabilities, providing invaluable insights and driving technological advancements across various industries. Yet, the need for more accessible, cost-effective, and integrated solutions became increasingly apparent as engineering demands grew in the years to follow.

Generation 2: CAD-Integrated Simulation Tools

The second generation of simulation tools came around the turn of the millennium. It brought about a significant shift with the integration of Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) simulation capabilities with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems. This integration addressed many of the challenges faced by the first generation and introduced several key benefits.

With CAD-integrated simulation tools, engineers could perform simulations of real phenomena directly within their design environment, leading to an improvement in workflow efficiency and iteration cycle time. From structural integrity to fluid dynamics, thermal properties, and other real-world behavior, engineers became better equipped with integrated simulation capabilities to refine their designs.

Such an integration meant design changes could be tested and validated more quickly. This helped speed up the product development process and reduce the need for physical prototyping, which in turn led to savings in time, costs, and resources. In addition, graphic technology developments enhanced the reliability and accuracy of data visualizations in depicting real-world scenarios. This provided a more effective way for design engineers to demonstrate their ideas.

However, these integrated tools were still locally hosted, which required local, private computing farms. Their performance was still tied to local hardware capabilities, which was a bottleneck for complex simulations. Engineers often faced challenges related to limited computing power, restricting the size and complexity of the models they could simulate. Companies still needed to invest heavily in expensive hardware to ensure sufficient computing power.

In some cases, CAD-integrated simulation tools often lacked the depth and specialization of dedicated simulation tools, which meant that for highly complex or specialized simulations, companies still needed to rely on first-generation tools. While integration improved workflows, it also introduced new complexities. Ensuring compatibility between CAD and simulation components could be challenging, mainly when dealing with updates and new releases. Companies had to invest in training and support to help engineers navigate these integrated environments effectively.

Expertise, accessibility, and computing power remained the fundamental challenges of CAD-integrated simulation tools. As these challenges persisted, the need for a more flexible, scalable, and collaborative approach to engineering simulation became clear, paving the way for the third generation of simulation tools.

Generation 3: Simulation as a Company Backbone

Since the 2010s, we have witnessed a paradigm change in the technology underlying engineering simulation and the role of simulation within engineering companies. As cloud computing became increasingly prevalent, cloud-based and cloud-native CAE technologies emerged, enabling a shift from local, siloed workflows to more collaborative and efficient workflows.

No longer confined to usage by simulation experts or limited by local hardware constraints, simulation has become an integral part of the entire engineering design process, supporting both engineering and business goals. This generation of cloud-native simulation tools has transformed simulation from an isolated task into a strategic enabler of innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness.

Such a holistic approach takes simulation beyond its mere validation stage at the end of a design cycle to an underlying factor spanning the whole design process. It introduces simulation early in the design process as a way for engineers to analyze and optimize their design iterations efficiently. In other words, it ensures that insights gained from simulations early on can drive more informed decisions, accelerate innovation, and ultimately lead to better products and business outcomes. This is referred to as simulation-driven design and engineering.

The cloud-native approach of such simulation tools breaks down traditional barriers of the previous generations, allowing for real-time collaboration across geographically dispersed teams, scalability to handle complex simulations, and integration with other enterprise systems to create a seamless engineering ecosystem. By deploying simulation across the whole enterprise, companies are leveraging cloud-native simulation tools not only for product development but also for strategic decision-making, market differentiation, and continuous improvement of processes and products. This also gives companies access to talent pools worldwide and shortens the product development cycle.

While simulation is democratized, allowing more team members to participate in the simulation process, simulation experts remain in charge of simulation quality control. With cloud-native simulation tools, the backlog for simulation experts is reduced, and the resulting simulation lead time is minimized. In other words, design engineers could now create, parametrize, validate, and optimize their designs early and often, reducing their waiting time and over-reliance on specialized simulation experts.

Meanwhile, simulation experts ensure the selected design(s) are fit for production based on their simulation expertise. All this collaborative work takes place on a single, cloud-native platform accessible by all stakeholders anytime and anywhere, enabling effective simulation process and data management (SPDM). SimScale offers such a platform.

SimScale: Leading the Third Generation of Simulation

As a cloud-native simulation platform, SimScale is at the forefront of the third generation of engineering simulation tools. Over the past decade, SimScale has become a leading player in the engineering simulation market, paving the way for companies across various industries to deploy enterprise-wide simulation and leverage it as a backbone for their businesses, especially in accelerating innovation and increasing efficiency.

With its accessibility, scalability, and multiphysics simulation capabilities integrated into a single platform, SimScale enables process integration and data optimization (PIDO) and ensures it is scalable across the whole enterprise. Here’s how SimScale distinguishes itself in the market and sets new standards for the industry:

1. Cloud-Native Accessibility: By leveraging cloud computing, SimScale makes high-performance simulation accessible to any engineer with an internet connection. This eliminates the need for expensive local hardware, removes the limitations of on-premise software, and democratizes access to advanced simulation capabilities.
2. Enterprise-Wide Deployment: SimScale’s platform can be deployed across an entire enterprise, breaking down silos and enabling seamless collaboration among engineering teams. This ensures that simulation is not just an isolated activity but a core component of the company’s engineering strategy.
3. Scalability and Flexibility: The cloud-native nature of SimScale allows for unparalleled scalability. Companies can run multiple simulations in parallel, scale up resources on demand, and handle complex simulation tasks without worrying about hardware limitations.
4. Integration and Collaboration: SimScale integrates easily with other engineering tools and platforms, providing a cohesive and collaborative environment. This integration ensures simulation data can inform design decisions throughout the product development lifecycle, enhancing overall efficiency and innovation.
5. Business and Engineering Alignment: SimScale’s platform supports engineering and business goals by providing insights that can drive product optimization, cost reduction, and time-to-market improvements. The ability to run extensive simulations early in the design process helps identify potential issues, reducing costly late-stage changes.

What the Future of Engineering Simulation Holds

As we move forward, the third generation of engineering simulation tools, epitomized by platforms like SimScale, will continue to evolve. The emphasis will be on further enhancing accessibility, improving integration with other enterprise systems, and leveraging advancements in cloud computing to deliver even more powerful and insightful simulations. But that’s not all.

With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and its convergence with simulation, a new generation of simulation could be knocking on the door: the generation of AI Simulation. By incorporating AI-driven insights and functionalities, AI simulation’s core strength is its capacity to speed up and improve the simulation process, making it more efficient, intuitive, and accessible for engineers and designers throughout the design cycle.

Cloud-native simulation provides the most robust and compatible infrastructure for AI Simulation to run effectively. This is why SimScale is leading the industry in integrating AI into simulation, with the aim of building the next generation of simulation and paving the way for future innovations in simulation-driven design.

The journey from the early days of simulation through the three generations of modern simulation tools reflects the dynamic nature of engineering simulation. Each generation has built upon the strengths and addressed the weaknesses of its predecessors, leading to tools that are more powerful, accessible, and integral to engineering success.

SimScale’s leading role highlights its commitment to transforming engineering simulation into a strategic advantage for companies. By providing a robust, cloud-native platform, SimScale ensures that simulation is an integral part of the engineering and business landscape, driving innovation and efficiency in unparalleled ways.

The post 3 Generations of Simulation: The Evolution of Engineering Simulation Tools appeared first on SimScale.

In every electric motor application, design requirements, such as size, power, efficiency, and precision, can vary significantly, especially under different working conditions. Electric motor simulation and modeling provide a cost-effective and efficient method of testing and optimizing design parameters, predicting performance, and evaluating design alternatives without the need for expensive physical prototyping. This accelerates the design process, improves efficiency, and minimizes costs.

Today, electric motors have become indispensable in achieving optimal performance and energy conservation due to their efficiency, reliability, and precise control. In this article, we explore the working principle of electric motors, how they are designed, and how simulation tools can replicate real-world design conditions and help troubleshoot and optimize the design process.

How Electric Motors Work?

An electric motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion. It operates on the principle of electromagnetism: When an electric current flows through a wire coil placed in a magnetic field, a force is exerted on the coil, causing it to rotate. This rotational motion is harnessed to perform useful work.
An electric motor consists of several essential components:

• Stator: The stator is the stationary part of the motor and consists of a core made of laminated steel sheets. It houses the wire coils, known as windings, which generate the magnetic field.
• Rotor: The rotor is the rotating part of the motor and is typically composed of a shaft and a set of laminated steel cores. The rotor rotates within the stator’s magnetic field and is responsible for producing the mechanical output.
• Windings: The windings are insulated wire coils wound around the stator. These windings are often made of copper or aluminum and carry the electrical current that creates the magnetic field.
• Commutator (for DC motors): In DC motors, the commutator is a segmented cylindrical structure connected to the rotor. It plays a crucial role in reversing the direction of the electric current in the rotor windings, allowing for continuous rotation.
• Brushes (for DC motors): Brushes are conductive contacts that supply electrical current to the commutator, enabling the flow of electricity to the rotor windings.

Types of Electric Motors

Electric motors can be classified in several ways, such as “single-phase vs poly-phase” or “air-cooled vs liquid-cooled” electric motors. But the most prominent and prudent classification is based on the power source. Thus, we can classify electric motors broadly into DC and AC electric motors [2].

DC Electric Motors

DC motors are powered by direct current and are mainly of two types: brushed and brushless electric motors.

• Brushed DC motors use brushes mounted on the stationary stator of the motor. These brushes serve two purposes:
  • To carry the necessary current required to create a magnetic field to the rotor, and;
  • To ensure, with the help of a commutator, that the fixed magnetic field of the stator is in a continuous cycle of repulsion and attraction with the magnetic field generated in the rotor
• Brushless DC motors are constructed in reverse. The rotors have permanent magnets attached to them, and the stator has windings. The stator’s magnetic field is rotated via control electronics rather than mechanical commutation. Brushless DC motors are known for their improved efficiency, reliability, and reduced maintenance needs.

AC Electric Motors

AC Electric motors are powered by an alternating current applied to the stator, which generates a magnetic field that interacts with another magnetic field in the rotor, causing rotation. There are also two main types of AC electric motors: synchronous motors and asynchronous motors (also known as induction motors).

• Synchronous AC motors have rotors that independently produce their own magnetic field (either via permanent magnets affixed to them or via a separate DC source), which interacts with the magnetic field of the stator to produce rotation. In these motors, the speed of the rotor is synchronized with the frequency of the alternating current that powers it and they are both linked immutably.
• Induction AC motors, also called asynchronous motors, have rotors with no magnetic fields of their own but have wire windings that are induced with a magnetic field from the magnetic field of the stator. The magnetic field of the stator and the induced magnetic field in the rotor interact to cause rotation. These motors have lower rotor speeds than the alternating current frequency; this difference is known as ‘slip’. The torque of the motor is proportional to this slip.

The Theory behind Electric Motors

Electric motors work based on the relationship between an electric current and the magnetic field it generates when passing through a conductor. Important formulas in expressing this relationship include Coulomb’s Law, Ampere’s law, Faraday’s law of induction, and Lenz’s law.

Coulomb’s Law

Coulomb’s law states that the force of attraction or repulsion \(F\) between two charges, \(q_1\) and \(q_2\), is directly proportional to the product of the quantities of each charge and inversely proportional to the square of the distance \(d\) between them:
$$ F = k_e \frac{q_1 q_2}{d^2} $$
Where \(k_e\) is the electrostatic constant.

This tells us that there is a force between two charges interacting with each other, be they similarly or oppositely charged.

Ampere’s Law

Ampere’s law indicates that an object of length \(l\), carrying an electric current \(I\) creates a magnetic field \(B\) around it. It is expressed as:
$$ \int{B.dl} = \mu_0 I $$

Where \(\mu\) is the permeability constant.

Faraday’s Law

Faraday’s law of induction states that the induced electromotive force in a coil \(\epsilon\) is directly proportional to the negative of the change of magnetic flux \(\Phi_B\) over time \(t\):
$$ \Phi_B = -N \frac{d\Phi_B}{dt} $$
Where \(N\) is the number of loops in the coil.

This allows us to predict the strength of an electromotive force given the rate of change in the magnetic flux and the number of winding coils on a conductor. The negative sign indicates that the direction of the electromotive force is opposite to the direction of the rate of change of the magnetic flux. This principle is known as Lenz’s law, and its expression is identical to that of Faraday’s law, albeit with a different focus.

These fundamental formulas allow us to understand how electromagnetism works and consequently, how an electric motor works. These were brought together into Maxwell’s equations and are used in electric motor simulation and design to model the electromagnetic phenomena taking place. Other types of engineering simulation are also used to simulate the physical properties of the electric motor and how they interact with each other while the electric motor is in operation. These include structural mechanics simulation and thermal analysis.

Electric Motor Simulation and Design using SimScale

Engineering simulation enables engineers to virtually recreate and study motor behavior under various operating conditions. It provides insights into performance, efficiency, and potential design improvements, saving time and resources compared to traditional trial-and-error methods. By simulating motor performance, engineers can evaluate different design options, identify potential issues, and fine-tune motor parameters to achieve optimal performance. It allows for the exploration of various scenarios and helps in making informed decisions to enhance motor efficiency, reliability, and overall performance.

As a cloud-native simulation platform, SimScale offers a comprehensive range of tools for simulating and optimizing electric motors without any hardware or software limitations. All simulations can be run online directly in a web browser. These include electromagnetic simulation, thermal simulation, and structural analysis.

Electromagnetic Simulation of Electric Motors

EM simulation uses magnetostatics, time-harmonic magnetics, and electrostatics simulation features to visualize and analyze electromagnetic parameters and study their interaction in an electric motor during operation. This gives the designer valuable insight into torque generation and ripple effects and how to potentially reduce inefficiencies due to slip or other design flaws. It also helps in selecting the correct magnetic and conductor materials that work best together to achieve the highest efficiencies.

Using SimScale’s electromagnetic simulation solver, engineers can analyze the following:

• Magnetic Field Analysis: SimScale provides tools to analyze the magnetic fields generated by electric motors. This includes both static and transient simulations.
• Eddy Current Analysis: Users can simulate eddy currents to evaluate losses and heating effects in the motor components.
• Torque Calculation: Users can calculate the torque produced by the motor under various operating conditions.
• Inductance and Resistance Calculation: Users can determine the inductance and resistance of motor windings, essential for understanding the motor’s electrical characteristics.

Thermal Simulation of Electric Motors

Thermal analysis uses thermal simulation tools to visualize the forms of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation in an electric motor. It enables engineers to design and test cooling systems, find ways to mitigate excessive heating, or design easier and quicker heat distribution and dissipation. This can minimize energy losses and maximize the motor’s efficiency and lifespan.

Using SimScale’s thermal analysis tool, engineers can study the following aspects:

• Heat Transfer Analysis: SimScale allows users to perform thermal simulations to evaluate the temperature distribution within the motor, ensuring that the motor operates within safe temperature limits.
• Cooling System Design: The platform can be used to design and optimize cooling systems, such as air or liquid cooling, to effectively manage heat dissipation.

Structural Analysis of Electric Motors

In addition to studying the electromagnetic and thermal phenomena in an electric motor, engineers can couple those with analyses of the motor’s structural integrity. This includes stress and vibration analyses, where users can leverage SimScale’s structural mechanics simulation capabilities to analyze the mechanical stresses and vibrations experienced by the motor components during operation, helping to ensure structural integrity and longevity.

This makes use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to simulate the physical properties of the parts of an electrical motor, the mechanics of its operation, and the effects of this operation on the properties of the motor parts. FEA can give an engineer valuable insight into the mechanical behavior and structural integrity of an electric motor and help evaluate areas of deformation or weak spots, highly stressed areas, and sources of vibration.

Cloud-based Parametrization, Optimization, and Collaboration

By leveraging the cloud, SimScale offers unparalleled levels of optimization and parametrization, enabling engineers to reduce their simulation time from days and weeks to hours and minutes. To understand the impact of different design variables on motor performance, users can conduct parametric studies and run as many simulations as needed in parallel without compromising the quality of the results or being limited by local hardware constraints. This allows for efficient shape and design optimization to reach the optimal design under the electric motor’s operational conditions.

SimScale also supports easy and quick collaboration by streamlining the ability to share simulation projects with team members and stakeholders. In other words, team members can access simulation projects anywhere by simply accessing the corresponding URLs. This enhances collaboration and feedback, accelerates design innovation, and allows for enterprise-wide deployment of simulation.

By leveraging SimScale’s comprehensive simulation capabilities, engineers can efficiently optimize electric motor designs, enhancing performance, efficiency, and reliability while reducing development time and costs.

Electric Motor Simulation: Start Simulating Now

The design phase of any product often requires multiple design iterations to achieve every possible performance improvement. Using SimScale’s FEA, EM, and Thermal simulation tools, cloud-native simulation allows for iterations of design changes to be carried out relatively stress-free.

SimScale offers simulation with an assortment of cutting-edge proprietary and open-source solvers, which have been incorporated into SimScale’s cloud-native computing interface to be able to run multiple electric motor simulations in parallel rather than one at a time. All this can be done within a web browser with a user-friendly interface without the need for any expensive and cumbersome hardware.

You can start simulating right away on the SimScale platform straight from your favorite web browser without any need for software installation or hardware required.

Contributor: Olawale Olayemi

The post Electric Motor Simulation and Design appeared first on SimScale.