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The purpose of this paper is to present a 3D finite element model of the electromagnetic fields in an AC three‐phase electric arc furnace (EAF). The model includes the electrodes, arcs, and molten bath.

The electromagnetic field in terms of time in AC arc is also modeled, utilizing a 3D finite element method (3D FEM). The arc is supposed to be an electro‐thermal unit with electrical power as input and thermal power as output. The average Joule power, calculated during the transient electromagnetic analysis of the AC arc furnace, can be used as a thermal source for the thermal analysis of the inner part of furnace. Then, by attention to different mechanisms of heat transfer in the furnace (convection and radiation from arc to bath, radiation from arc to the inner part of furnace and radiation from the bath to the sidewall and roof panel of the furnace), the temperature distribution in different parts of the furnace is calculated. The thermal model consists of the roof and sidewall panels, electrodes, bath, refractory, and arc. The thermal problem is solved in the steady state for the furnace without slag and with different depths of slag.

Current density, voltage and magnetic field intensity in the arcs, molten bath and electrodes are predicted as a result of applying the three‐phase AC voltages to the EAF. The temperature distribution in different parts of the furnace is also evaluated as a result of the electromagnetic field analysis.

This paper considers an ideal condition for the AC arc. Non‐linearity of the arc during the melting, which leads to power quality disturbances, is not considered. In most prior researches on the electrical arc furnace, a non‐linear circuit model is usually used for calculation of power quality phenomena distributions. In this paper, the FEM is used instead of non‐linear circuits, and calculated voltage and current densities in the linear arc model. The FEM results directly depend on the physical properties considered for the arc.

Steady‐state arc shapes, based on the Bowman model, are used to calculate and evaluate the geometry of the arc in a real and practical three‐phase AC arc furnace. A new approach to modeling AC arcs is developed, assuming that the instantaneous geometry of the AC arc at any time is constant and is similar to the geometry of a DC arc with the root mean square value of the current waveform of the AC arc. A time‐stepping 3D FEM is utilized to calculate the electromagnetic field in the AC arc as a function of time.

Electromagnetic actuators, with very specific features for industrial processes, are needed much more for an increase in reliability and dynamic. To reach the wanted features, the actuator has to be designed and its performance has to be quantified with good accuracy and reasonable computation time. The purpose of this paper is to present the design and the study of a permanent magnet linear actuator.

The first design of the permanent magnet linear actuator has been introduced from electromechanical considerations. Then, both models utilized to study the actuator are presented: the permeance network model (PNM) and the 3D finite element model. These models are used to quantify the performance of the prototype. Owing to its speed, the influence of geometric parameters on the performances are studied by the PNM. Then, both models are used to perform calculations on global variables. A prototype of the designed actuator has been built up and the results obtained by both models are compared with the measurements.

The developed model has been used to study the behaviour of the designed actuator. Using the 3D‐FEM, the local phenomena have been highlighted as the magnetic flux density and the induced current. Then, global variables as the no load fluxes and the forces at load have been determined. The results obtained by both models have been compared together and show a good agreement. They are also very close to the measurements achieved on the prototype constructed.

This paper shows that it is possible to use a PNM model to design a permanent magnet linear actuator with a relative good accuracy. The PNM developed does not permit one to calculate the cogging forces and does not take into account the induced currents but it gives accurate results when the interest is focused only on the magnetostatic load operating. The comparison with the results given by 3D‐FEM and to the measurements shows a good agreement.

Recently, considerable attention has been attracted to the development of the new concept motor for EV or HEV. Wider torque and speed controllable operating range and high efficiency under driving area are needed for traction motor. The purpose of this paper is to realize the new concept variable field flux motor with claw pole rotor and brushless robust structure for high-speed range.

In the previous paper, the authors proposed a half-wave rectified brushless variable field flux method with a diode inserted into the field winding. This paper presents a designing for a novel claw pole rotor type motor using the variable field flux method (CP-HVFM). The claw pole type rotor has simple and robust structure for high-speed operation. This paper describes a first prototype design result for CP-HVFM using 3D-FEM. And the authors report the torque and efficiency characteristic results using 3D-FEM.

The authors have studied the designing for CP-HVFM using 3D-FEM. The designed prototype CP-HVFM reached a rated power of 2 kW or more at a rated speed 1,800 rpm under design restrictions of experimental equipment and initial specifications. In addition, the authors found the ratio of the tip and root embrace of the claw pole shape for maximum average torque and minimum torque ripple. Finally, the authors revealed an influence of the armature current on the torque and the efficiency characteristic results for the designed prototype CP-HVFM using 3D-FEM.

The half-wave rectified brushless variable field flux method proved to be effective for the claw pole rotor type motor. And also the authors found the best claw pole shape for torque characteristic. This results are applied to another concept motor for EV or HEV.

The purpose of this paper is to present the performance characteristics analysis of a new type axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machine according to the geometric structure of rotor such as permanent magnet dimension, the air‐gap length and so on.

The 3D finite element method (FEM) is used to analyse electromagnetic fields with the aid of an ANSYS software package. The FEM is based on the magnetic vector potential and the governing equation can be obtained from the Maxwell equation. Using the dynamometer system, the characteristics of the AFPM machine were estimated according to load torque.

The AFPM machine characteristics with static torque, cogging torque and flux density according to rotor geometric dimensions are analyzed using a 3D FEM software package. And then, the prototype of an AFPM machine and several rotors with different PM structure are manufactured and tested. Resulting from the experiment, the characteristics such as EMF waveform, speed and efficiency curves according to load torque, and efficiency curves according to PM thickness, are obtained. The measured performance results verified the overhang effects and improved the efficiency of the motor.

The paper proposes a new type AFPM machine structure with T‐shape teeth and laminated back yoke and two types of rotor with fan‐shaped permanent magnets. It presents the results of characteristics of the proposed AFPM machine throughout the simulation and experiment.

Electrostatic microelectromechanical systems are characterized by the pull‐in instability, associated to a pull‐in voltage. A good design requires an accurate model of this pull‐in phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to present two approaches to building finite element method (FEM) based models.

Closed form expressions for the computation of the pull‐in voltage, can provide fast results within reliable accuracy, except when treating cases of extreme fringing fields. FEM‐based models come handy when high accuracy is needed. In the first model presented in this paper, the FEM is used to solve the electrostatic problem, while the mechanical problem is solved using a simplified Euler‐Bernoulli beam equation. The second model is a pure FEM model coupling the electrostatic and mechanical problems iteratively through the electrical force. Results for both scalar and vector potential formulations for the FEM models are presented.

In this paper a comparative study of simple pull‐in structures is presented, between analytical and 3D FEM‐based models. A comparison with analytical models and experimental results is also realized.

The coupling between the electrostatic and mechanical problem in the presented approaches, is iterative. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of the presented model, a strong coupling is needed.

In the presented FEM‐analytical model, the electrostatic problem is solved in both, scalar and vector electric potential formulations. This allows defining an upper and a lower limit for the electrostatic force and consequently for the pull‐in voltage.

Switched reluctance motors are promising candidates for a wide variety of drive applications. The theoretical description of such motors is often reduced to the rather simple, but clear concept of ΨI‐characteristics. In contrast to this, the machine itself is a real electrical machine and must therefore be analysed as is done with conventional machines although the experimental machine is constructed as simple as possible. The paper will first describe some well known basics connected to very short machines and flux. In the next step, the calculation of stray flux quantities aided by 3D‐FEM is discussed and finally a comparison of calculation and experimental measurements is given.

This paper aims to measure peak temperatures and cooling rates for distinct locations of thermocouples in the butt weld joint of mild steel plates. For experimental measurement of peak temperatures, K-type thermocouples coupled with a data acquisition system were used at predetermined locations. Thereafter, Rosenthal’s analytical models for thin two-dimensional (2D) and thick three-dimensional (3D) plates were adopted to predict peak temperatures for different thermocouple positions. A finite element model (FEM) based on an advanced prescribed temperature approach was adopted to predict time-temperature history for predetermined locations of thermocouples.

Comparing experimental and Rosenthal analytical models (2D and 3D) findings show that predicted and measured peak temperatures are in close agreement, while cooling rates predicted by analytical models (2D, 3D) show significant variation from measured values. On the other hand, 3D FEM simulation predicted peak temperatures and cooling rates for different thermocouple positions are close to experimental findings.

The inclusion of filler metal during simulation of welding rightly replicates the real welding situation and improves outcomes of the analysis.

The present study is an original contribution to the field of welding technology.

The track impedance is one of the most important parameters in designing the track circuit which is widely used in the railway signal control system to detect the presence of a train. This paper aims to calculate the ballastless track impedance by taking account of the influence of reinforcement bars.

This paper proposes a two-step decomposition approach to calculate the ballastless track impedance. The basic idea is evaluating the track impedance without the reinforcement bars by using two-dimensional (2D) finite element method (FEM), and the incremental impedance, because of the reinforcement bar, is calculated by the partial element equivalent circuit (PEEC) method.

The numerical examples show that the proposed approach can guarantee the accuracy and largely reduce the computing time, at least 20 times, compared with the direct three-dimensional (3D) FEM method.

The study provides a fast approach to calculate the ballastless track impedance. However, compared with the 3D FEM method, the results are less accurate because of the approximation and assumption adopted in the method. A future study should pay more attention to improve accuracy of the model.

A fast approach is proposed to calculate the ballastless track impedance taking account of the influence of the reinforcement bars. The computing time can be largely reduced by using the method. With the proposed approach, the influence of insulation of the reinforcement bars on track impedance can be analyzed.

This paper aims to present a lightened 3D finite element model (FEM) for coupled electromagnetic thermal simulation of the induction thermography non-destructive testing (NDT) technique to reduce the computation time.

The time harmonic electromagnetic problem is expressed in A – ϕ formulation and lightened by using the surface impedance boundary condition (SIBC) applied to both the massive induction coil surface and the surface of conductor workpiece including open cracks. The external circuit is taken into account by using the impressed voltage or the impressed current formulation. The thermal diffusion in the workpiece is solved by using surface electromagnetic power density as thermal source.

The accuracy and the usefulness of the method for the design of the induction thermography NDT technique have been shown with acceptable deviation compared with a full FEM model. It is also observed that at high frequency, when the ratio between the local radius of the conductor and the skin depth is high, a very good accuracy can be obtained with the SIBC methods. At lower frequency, the effect of the curvature of the surface becomes significant. In this case, the use of the Mitzner’s impedance can help to correct the error.

The SIBC can be used for both massive coil and workpieces with open cracks to alleviate 3D FEMs of the coupled electrothermal model. The implementation in matrix form of the coupled electrothermal formulation is given in details. The comparisons with reference analytical solution and full 3D FEM show the accuracy and performance of the method. In the test case presented, the computation time is 6.6 times lower than the classical model.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the interlocking process on the iron loss in the lamination core and to increase the efficiency of electrical machines.

A 3D electromagnetic model of the interlocking dowels is proposed in order to simulate the eddy current distribution in the lamination core. Considering the time-consuming of the 3D finite element method (FEM), a 2D electromagnetic model is then proposed based on the 3D model. Influence of the interlocking process on the motor performances is analyzed with 2D FEM, considering the electrical connection of the dowels and the magnetic property deterioration of the electrical steel sheets.

The interlocking process removes the insulation between the laminations at the cut-edges of the interlocking dowels, causing extra eddy current loss in the lamination core. The effect of the interlocking process is dependent on the number, location and size of the interlocking dowels.

The interlocking dowel model is established in order to simulate the effects of the interlocking process. By using the FEM calculation, optimal solution is discussed to minimize the undesired effect of the interlocking dowels.

In this paper, the FEM model of the induction motor with interlocked stator core is first established, then simulation analysis is implemented. Results shows that choosing a proper number of interlocking dowels with suitable location and size can reduce the extra loss.