Highlights of FluxMotor 2022
1. Unified setup-Flux & FluxMotor
1.1 Installation of Flux and FluxMotor
From now on, Altair Flux TM and Altair FluxMotor TM are installed with a single setup.
The name of the common build is hwFlux2022_win64.exe.
Please see illustrations below showing the resulting folder after running the unified setup-Flux&FluxMotor.
Under the node flux, each software has its own folder, inside which all the required components are stored.
For performing internal computation using Flux, FluxMotor runs the version of Flux which is installed within the common setup. That means, both versions are now synchronized and fully compatible.
Note that the uninstallation removes both software from the computer at the same time.
However, each software has its own package of user help guide which can be downloaded separately.
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| Illustration of installation of both Flux and FluxMotor |
1.2 Direct links between Flux & FluxMotor
To reinforce the visibility and the interaction between both the software, direct links have been introduced in the supervisor of each software as shown in the bellow illustrations. Thus, it is possible to launch FluxMotor from Flux supervisor and vice versa.
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| How to launch FluxMotor directly and quickly from Flux supervisor |
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| How to launch Flux directly and quickly from FluxMotor supervisor |
It is known that, in the area “EXPORT” of Motor Factory, the functions “FLUX2D” and “FLUX SKEW” allow to build and to export a model in Flux 2D or Flux Skew environment for performing advanced studies with applications like Magneto Static, Transient or AC Steady State applications.
Before exporting the model in Flux, the user needs to go through three main steps:
- Define the type of scenario one wants to get in Flux environment (Test selection)
- Define the test configuration.
- Define the export information.
The resulting models are fully parameterized and can be built in Flux 2D or Flux Skew environment.
What’s new with FluxMotor 2022, is that two solutions are now available to build the resulting project in Flux:
- Either you create and export a python file to be run in Flux environment to get the resulting model
- Or you click on Flux 2D or Flux Skew button (depending on what you are considering, i.e. a machine with skewed rotor or stator) to directly open the project inside Flux2D or Flux Skew with the defined scenario ready to be solved and post-processed without having to manage python files.
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| How to get and manage a Flux project (2D or Skew) directly and quickly from Motor Factory Export area |
2. Working point computation in transient mode
2.1 A new mode of computation
From now on, two modes of computations are possible for running the test “ Working point – Sine wave – Motor – I, Y , N” to characterize the behavior of the synchronous machines (synchronous machines with permanent magnets or reluctance synchronous machines) when operating at the targeted input values I, Y, N (Magnitude of current, Control angle, Speed).
- There are a “ Fast ” mode of computation and an “Accurate” one.
The “Fast mode” of computation is the default mode of computation. In this case all the computations in the back-end is mainly based on Finite Element modelling (Altair Flux TM software) with Magnetostatic application.
Note that when needed, electromagnetic quantities are also computed by considering “ Park’s transformation’ model”.
- The “ Accurate mode ” of computation allows solving the computation with Finite Element modelling (Altair Flux TM software) with Transient magnetic application. This mode of computation allows getting more accurate results and to compute additional quantities like the AC losses in winding and Joule losses in magnets.
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| Mode of computation “Fast” or “Accurate” |
Note: The same options are available for induction machines with squirrel cage – Inner and Outer rotor when running the test “ Working point – Sine wave – Motor – U, f, N”
2.2 AC losses computation
There are three options for computing or ignoring AC losses in winding:
None : AC losses are not computed. However, as the computation mode is “Accurate”, a transient computation is performed but without representing the solid conductors (wires) inside the slots. Phases are modeled with coil regions. Thanks to that, the mesh density is lower with a lower number of nodes and a lower computation time.
FE-One phase : AC losses are computed on one phase. Only one phase is modeled with solid conductors. The two other ones are modeled with coil regions. One gets AC losses in winding but with a lower computation time than if all the phases were modeled with solid conductors. However, this can have a little impact on the accuracy of results.
FE-All phase : AC losses are computed on all the phases. All the phases are modeled with solid conductors. This computation method gives the best results in terms of accuracy, but with a higher computation time
See the illustration below.
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| 3 options for computing or ignoring AC losses in winding: None, FE-One phase, FE-All phase |
2.3 New outputs
When computing working point using the “Accurate” computation mode, new outputs are computed and displayed versus time like the torque, the flux density in airgap, the phase voltage, and the phase current.
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| Torque versus rotor angular position – From a transient computation |
The results of a harmonic analysis are computed and displayed for all the outputs computed in function of the rotor angular position.
Note : The quality of curves can be adjusted by using “Advanced” inputs, like the number of points per electrical period and the number of computed electrical periods.
Other results are also computed and displayed like the ratio of AC losses by the DC losses, the amount of Joule losses in magnet for SMPM, etc..
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| Results of DC and AC losses in winding along with Joule losses in magnets |
3. Hairpin technology (available in beta version)
3.1 Overview
From now on, in Motor Factory, two types of winding can be designed: Classical winding or Hairpin winding.
The design and the export of projects from FluxMotor to Flux2D can be done.
However, no test is available while considering a hairpin winding topology.
Here is the home page, below, for designing both classical and hairpin winding.
The main principles of GUI are similar between both kind of windings, classical and hairpin.
As for a classical winding, dedicated sections help users to define the winding architecture, the coil, the electrical insulations, the end-winding, and the potting.
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| WINDING design area – Area dedicated to Hairpin winding topology | |
| 1 | Selection of the STATOR subset: WINDING panel (Click on the icon WINDING) |
| 2 | Winding input parameter panel dedicated for designing of the winding (either classical or hairpin technology windings) |
| 3 | Buttons to select the winding type “classical or hairpin” (hairpin winding is selected – Highlighted in blue). |
| 4 | Shortcuts to easily navigate the output sections |
3.2 Hairpin winding architecture
From the Automatic mode to the Expert one, there are processes to build the winding architecture step by step.
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| Building the winding architecture | |
| 1 | Definition modes for building the winding architecture: Auto, Easy, Advanced and Expert |
| 2-3-4 | Number of layers, number of conductors and number of parallel paths can be adjusted according to the considered configuration. |
A powerful “Expert mode” allows considering any kind of user’s hairpin configurations. These can be described in a dedicated hairpin connection table or by importing an Excel file in which the winding to consider is defined.
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| Build a coil with expert mode | |
| 1 | Dialog box to define a connection table with expert mode. |
| 2 | Box to upload a connection table defined into an *.xlsx file. |
| 3 | Box to manually fill a connection table or modify an uploaded one from an *.xlsx file. |
| 4 | Selection of winding parameters |
| 5 | Dynamic view of the hairpin winding updated in real time with respect to the filling status of the connection table. |
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| WINDING design area – Visualisation of one phase layout in the design area |
3.3 Visualization of the winding architecture
Several presentations allow visualizing the representation of the winding, one phase, all phase, radial and axial views.
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| Visualization of the winding architecture |
3.4 Quality criteria
Winding factors and the slot star are computed and displayed considering the specificities of the hairpin winding technology.
The slot star represents the total vectorial sum of voltages at the ends of each coil for each parallel path.
A slot star is computed and displayed for each parallel path.
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| Slot star - Strong or weak balance case example | Slot star - Unbalance case example |
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For each slot per pole and per phase of each parallel path, the number of conductors in each conductor layer is computed and displayed in the table
The three kinds of possible configurations in term of electrical current in parallel paths can be considered and displayed: Strong balance, weak balance, and unbalance.
Inside each slot, the voltage drops between the superimposed conductors for calculating the maximum “Line to Line” voltage value and the voltage drop limit set by the user (X-factor: model evaluation table).
This allows the user to visualize quickly where the hot point lies from an electrical potential difference point of view.
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| Voltage drop between the superimposed conductors |
4. Export projects to Flux2D – Thermal application
A new kind of export is available for synchronous machines with permanent magnets, inner rotor. It allows exporting a project from FluxMotor to Flux2D environment for performing thermal steady state computations based on a set of losses and a speed.
The physical properties and constraints of the project in Flux 2D are automatically defined and assigned considering all what has been set in the design environment of Motor Factory. An illustration where a scenario is ready to be performed considering the set of losses and the speed is shown below.
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| Export project in Flux2D for thermal application |
5. Further improvements
5.1 Circuit improvement with a better physical representation
5.1.1 Overview
This improvement allows a better physical representation of electric circuits. It concerns the export of projects from FluxMotor to Flux as well as the tests performed in the back end of the Motor Factory.
Previously, while exporting a project from FluxMotor to Flux 2D with solid conductors into the phase coils, there was an issue when more than one parallel path was considered in the model.
Indeed, in that case, the solid conductors were put in serial instead of in parallel.
5.1.2 What were the concerned use cases?
- Winding is designed with parallel paths
- Each time when there is more than one parallel path in the represented model inside Flux 2D environment.
Here are the major concerned cases:
- Full geometry with parallel paths
- Parallel paths when there are consequent poles on the rotor side
- Each time when there is a reduced model of the topology, the winding is represented with several parallel paths inside.
Note 1 : This issue occurred with every type of machine:
- Synchronous machine with permanent magnet – Inner or outer rotor
- Reluctance synchronous machine – Inner rotor
- Induction machine with squirrel cage – Inner or outer rotor
Note 2 : Exporting a project from FluxMotor to Flux Skew with solid conductors in phase coils is not yet possible with FluxMotor 2022.
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| Schematic transformation of the physical representation of electric circuits |
5.2 Optimization of memory and CPU usage
This optimization makes the use of Motor Factory smoother, especially when one loads projects in which there are a lot of results like curves, maps etc. It is the same for the management of reports (in Motor Factory- Export area - Report) with lot of data in it.
5.3 Update Log4J version 2.17.1
FluxMotor 2021 used Log4j version 1.2.17 for displaying some information to the users.
This version of Log4J has a serious vulnerability identified in the file JMS Appender which is used only to log to the network (not used in FluxMotor). The new version of Log4J (version 2.17.1) is now used in FluxMotor 2022.