Model for Flow Simulator

Overview

The aim of this export is to provide a “.flo” file which allows to get a machine model ready to be used in Altair® Flow SimulatorTM environment which will allow to represent the thermal behavior of the machine through a customizable lumped thermal parameter model coupled with a flow network when necessary.

In the current version of Altair® FluxMotor® the only application type available for Flow Simulator export is the steady state thermal analysis for three-phase inner rotor SMPM, SMRSM and IMSQ. Thermal transient export and more machine types will be addressed in future versions.

The following section gives a short description of the process to export the model into Flow Simulator environment.

Area to build and to export a model to Flow Simulator environment
Motor Factory – EXPORT AREA – Export model for Flow Simulator environment
1 Selection of the EXPORT area of Motor Factory.
2 Access to the area in which a model for Flow Simulator environment can be made
3 Zone to visualize the overview of the selected model to be exported. Currently, it warns that this export is in BETA version.
4 3 steps to build the model to be exported for Flow Simulator environment
5 Button to validate the inputs.
6 Buttons to export the “.flo” file for building the model in Flow Simulator environment or to launch directly Flow Simulator
Note: ".flo” files are text files used by Flow Simulator to stock all the information about a project, e.g., the background images, the thermal/flow network components including their values, placements, etc.

Steps to build an export Flow Simulator

Introduction

In EXPORT / ADVANCED TOOLS / FLOW SIMULATOR area, 3 steps are needed to build and export data
  1. Define the thermal model to be exported into Flow Simulator. For the moment only the thermal steady state model is available.
  2. Define the test configuration, that means the user inputs/outputs parameters needed to perform the test (settings and user inputs of the considered test)
  3. Define the export information.

Test selection

In the current version of FluxMotor®, one test can be selected:
  • Characterization / Thermal – Motor & Generator / Steady State

Test configuration

After selecting the test, the corresponding test inputs (settings and user inputs) must be defined. This allows us to define the initial conditions for the simulation process in Flow Simulator environment.
Motor Factory – EXPORT AREA – Export a model to Flow Simulator
1 Tab to define the initial conditions for the simulation process in Flow Simulator environment.
2 Access to thermal settings
3 User inputs and settings dealing with the considered test should be defined.
4 Buttons to validate or cancel thermal settings.
5 Buttons to validate inputs or to return to default values.

Export information

The last step for building a model for Flow Simulator is to define the export information.

There are two data to be defined:
  • The name of the “.flo” file which will build the model in Flow Simulator environment.
  • The folder in which the provided file will be stored.
Motor Factory – EXPORT AREA – Export model for Flow Simulator – Export information
1 Tab to be expanded to define export information for Flow Simulator
2 Area in which the export parameters to be defined are listed
3 Button to validate the previous choices.
4 Button to finalize the export of the model. It opens the folder where the “.flo” file is generated.
5 Button to finalize the export of the model. It launches Flow Simulator and builds the model.
Note: When data is missing / wrong in third table; “Export information” for instance, an error message is displayed in the red colored font which indicates what data is missing / wrong. If needed information is missing, exporting a model is not allowed.
Motor Factory – EXPORT AREA – Export model for Flow Simulator – Error message
1 Error message displayed in the red colored font.
2 The button to export the model is not active if the needed data are missing.
Note: Exporting a model to Flow Simulator (i.e. provide the “.flo” file to build the model) can take a few seconds, since it is necessary to run some pre-calculations to build the lumped parameter thermal model.