Introduction

Ansys Maxwell^® is an interactive software package that uses finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate (solve) electromagnetic field problems. Maxwell integrates with other Ansys software packages to perform complex tasks while remaining simple to use. Maxwell incorporates both a set of 2D solvers and 3D solvers in an integrated user interface. This guide will focus on 2D capabilities.

To analyze a problem, you specify the appropriate geometry, material properties, and excitations for a device or system of devices. The Maxwell software then does the following:

• Automatically creates the required finite element mesh.
• Calculates the desired electric or magnetic field solution and special quantities of interest, such as force, torque, inductance, capacitance, or power loss. The specific types of field solutions and quantities that can be computed depend on which Maxwell 2D solution type you specified (electric fields, DC magnetics, AC magnetics, transient fields and data).
• Allows you to analyze, manipulate, and display field solutions.

A sample geometry created with Maxwell appears below:

This model is actually a three-dimensional (3D) object. Maxwell 2D analyzes the 2D geometry as a cross-section of the model, then generates a solution for that cross-section.

In addition to XY models, Maxwell 2D can take advantage of 3D geometry that exhibits rotational symmetry about an axis to compute fields in an axisymmetric model. The geometry described in this guide exhibits such symmetry.

The following figure shows the finite element mesh that was automatically generated for the 2D geometry.

Dividing a structure into many smaller regions (finite elements) allows the system to compute the field solution separately in each element. The smaller the elements, the more accurate the final solution.