Motor-CAD is an Electromagnetic and Thermal analysis package for
electric motor
An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
s and
generators, developed and sold by Motor Design Ltd. It was initially released in 1999.
Modules are available for
brushless permanent magnet motors (BPM), outer rotor BPM motors,
induction motors,
permanent magnet dc machines,
switched reluctance motors,
synchronous machines
Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the Conductor (music), conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are sai ...
and
claw pole machines.
An integrated ultra fast finite element module (EMag) provides accurate electromagnetic and electrical performance predictions.
The thermal module (Therm) combines lumped circuit and finite element thermal calculations for optimising the cooling system of the machine.
Cooling methods modelled include
natural convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convec ...
(Totally enclosed non ventilated - TENV),
forced convection
Forced convection is a mechanism, or type of transport, in which fluid motion is generated by an external source (like a pump, fan, suction device, etc.). Alongside natural convection, thermal radiation, and thermal conduction it is one of the m ...
(Totally enclosed fan cooled - TEFC), through ventilation,
water jacket
A water jacket is a water-filled casing surrounding a device, typically a metal sheath having intake and outlet vents to allow water to be pumped through and circulated. The flow of water to an external heating or cooling device allows precise t ...
s,
submersible, wet rotor and wet stator, spray cooling,
radiation and
conduction.
A wide range of housing types can be modelled.
The Lab module works with the EMag and Therm modules to help develop new design concepts. It provides efficiency mapping and duty cycle / drive cycle transient outputs within a few minutes.
Thermal analysis of electric machines is regarded as a more challenging area of analysis than electromagnetic analysis in the construction of the model and the accuracy achievable.
Thermal analysis of electrical machines is becoming ever more important due to the increasing drive for energy efficiency and compact design machines. This is particularly true for the aerospace and automotive sectors where size, weight and efficiency are driving the design of machines.
The design approach often taken is to consider both electromagnetic and thermal aspects of a machines design at the early stages in machine design, where Motor-CAD allows this to be done.
Other possible thermal modelling techniques include computational fluid dynamics. Motor-CAD has been shown to give results with a similar accuracy in a fraction of the time.
[TASSI, A., ZANOCCHI, G., STATON, D.A. : 'FEM and Lumped Circuit Thermal Analysis of External Rotor Motor' IECON 2006, Paris, Nov 2006]
References
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External links
Thermal Behaviour of Electrical Motors
Windows-only software
Computer-aided design software
Electric motors