Monday, July 20, 2009

Maxwell Solution Types

Maxwell 3D is an interactive software package that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate electromagnetic field problems.
The following four types of solutions are supported by Maxwell 3D:
Electric 3D fields, which can be one of the following two categories:

a. Electrostatic 3D fields caused by a user-specified distribution of voltages and charges. Additional quantities that can be computed include torque, force, and capacitances.

b. Electric 3D fields in conductors characterized by a spatial distribution of voltage, electric field, and current density. Power loss can also be computed.

Magnetostatic linear and nonlinear 3D fields caused by a userspecified distribution of DC current density and permanent or externally applied magnetic fields. Additional quantities that can be computed quantities include torque, force, and self and mutual

inductances.

Harmonic (sinusoidal variation in time) steady-state magnetic fields with pulsation-induced eddy currents in massive solid conductors caused by one of the following:

a. A user-specified distribution of AC currents (all with same frequency but with possibly different initial phase angles).

b. Externally applied magnetic fields. This full wave solution includes electromagnetic wave radiation.

Transient (time domain) magnetic fields caused by permanent magnets, conductors, and windings supplied by voltage and/or current sources with arbitrary variation as functions of time. Rotational or translational motion effects can be included in the simulation