Simulation tool simplifies design work

The latest release of Opera speeds up the virtual prototyping of electromagnetic equipment.

The latest release of the Opera electromagnetic simulation tool adds model parameterisation and scripting capabilities.

These facilities make it much simpler to perform "what if?" investigations, to speed up the virtual prototyping of electromagnetic equipment.

Every variant of Vector Fields' new Opera release, Version 12, from the lowest-cost two-dimensional simulation package to the full three-dimensional modelling suite, benefits from these features.

A breakthrough tool for optimisation is also available, which will automatically seek the best solution for single or competing goals.

Opera is available in numerous variants, with generic 2D and 3D finite element analysis (FEA) solvers for static and time-varying electromagnetic fields and with application-specific solvers for design work involving rotating machinery, superconducting magnets, particle beams, di-electric insulation and magnetisation/demagnetisation processes.

The latest release extends the performance of many of these solvers to enhance simulation fidelity and speed.

"Opera's integrated design-simulate-optimise toolchain allows organisations to reach the optimal solution much faster - eliminating the huge cost associated with physical design iteration cycles".

"The incredible amount of intellectual property built into this toolsuite can cut months from the most challenging of projects", says Vector Fields' Dr Kevin Ward.

Opera V12 provides users with integrated design-simulate-optimise tools to create design models, simulate electromagnetic behaviour (and optionally related physics including temperature and mechanical stress), post-process results and iterate the concept to reach the optimal solution.

Component or system models can be imported from CAD programs, or generated using a powerful, built-in, geometric modeller built around the industry-standard ACIS geometry engine.

To enhance design process efficiency, models may now be parameterised using variables, making it simple to refine ideas.

Users can quickly change parameter values in a model and view effects, or macros can be built to automate complicated design tasks.

A related enhancement is the availability of a 'parameterised history stream', allowing models to be easily modified and replayed.

This makes it easy to save portions of a complete model, as script-like short cuts for designers who regularly create variations of products, such as electric motor stators or recording heads.

A further time saving feature comes in the form of adaptive FEA meshing, which allows users to employ the most efficient resolution for the accuracy required.

Users can purchase Opera with a wide range of solvers to simulate electromagnetic behaviour.

There are three generic solvers for modelling static and low-frequency or high-frequency time varying fields.

These are available in both two or three-dimensional versions, to suit the design need and budget.

Application-specific variants are also available.

These cater for applications including rotating electrical machinery, the magnetisation/demagnetisation of permanent magnets, the simulation of 'quench' phenomena in superconducting magnets, space charge effects of particle beams, a solver for modelling insulation properties of semiconducting materials, plus extensions to incorporate temperature and mechanical stress effects and electrical circuits and mechanical loads.

Several of these solvers are radically improved in Opera V12.

The rotating machinery solver features two major enhancements to simplify electric motor and generator design, a skew modelling facility to enhance the accuracy of designs that employ skewed magnetic fields to reduce 'cogging' torque and a means to greatly speed the simulation of large machines by simulating just a segment of a symmetrical design.

This latter facility, combined with operation on today's 64bit PCs, can reduce simulation times to hours or even minutes for very complex designs.

When simulation is complete, Opera includes a purpose-designed post-processor that simplifies analysis of results.

As well as displaying electromagnetic field quantities, numerous functions are available to prepare and display results in forms and units familiar to the user - such as forces, power loss and stored energy.

Optimisation of designs may now be performed automatically using a new tool called Optimiser, an auto-optimisation tool designed to work with finite element methods and to support competing goals.

Unlike current attempts at auto-optimisation, this tool incorporates a number of algorithmic techniques including stochastic, descent, Pareto and Kriging that are automatically selected and managed depending on the problem and which are able to work out the best solution for one or multiple goals, even when goals compete with each other.

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