IT in Manufacturing


Multi-discipline simulation of axial flux motors for next-generation EVs

March 2024 IT in Manufacturing

Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Simcenter E-Machine Design software helps electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and their associated supply chains to predict the performance of e-machines accurately, including axial flux electric drive units. The new solution from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software brings together electromagnetic and thermal simulation, helping reduce reliance on physical prototyping, and enabling the EV industry to accelerate innovation.

“The electric vehicle industry is facing challenges from many directions, including supply chain issues, the ability to scale, and the pursuit of innovation driven by increasingly demanding customers,” said senior vice president, Jean-Claude Ercolanelli. “By adopting cutting-edge simulation capabilities to develop new products and technologies in shorter timescales than ever achieved, the EV industry can focus on delivering the innovation required to stay relevant in a rapidly changing market.”

Axial flux motors can positively impact the EV range due to their increased power density; but engineers adopting them face more challenging heat dissipation requirements due to their compact size and complexity, and difficulties in accommodating the required air gap. The complex nature of these motors is challenging engineers, and many are turning to advanced simulation to help reduce development costs and time.

Delivered as part of the latest updates to the Simcenter software, the new Simcenter E-Machine Design solution allows engineers to use parameterised templates and analytical modelling in the early stages of development. They can then continue working on their design in 3D with full Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations when more complex investigations are required, such as advanced thermal interactions.

Simcenter now also includes a simplified electric vehicle powertrain development process, from motor design to noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Electromagnetic loads from the new Simcenter E-Machine Design software are easily transferred to Simcenter 3D software for further acoustics and mechanical motion performance analysis.

The new smart virtual sensing capability empowers test engineers to simulate the unmeasurable. The new tool integrates simulation with physical testing to enable physical test teams to position virtual sensors in critical areas where physical sensors cannot be placed due to location or the complex geometry. This enables measurement of the unmeasurable by using a reduced order model featuring virtual sensors that run in real time alongside a physical test. It combines data from physical strain gauges with a reduced order model to compute operational loading conditions. This enables engineers to calculate results at the ‘unreachable’ critically located virtual sensor.

Design space exploration is also now fully integrated into Simcenter 3D, enabling the automation of design parameter modification, updating the simulation model, reviewing results, and iterating to explore design tradeoffs or achieve an optimal result. The associative integration of CAD geometry, simulation modelling and automation allows the creation of hundreds of runs without user intervention, helping designers and engineers explore more possibilities for their products.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Next-generation road-legal race car.
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced that Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) will move to the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software and use it to develop the next generation of its single-seater road-legal race car, Mono.

Read more...
Cybersecurity at a crossroads
IT in Manufacturing
here’s a growing unease in boardrooms, data centres and cabinet offices across South Africa. It’s not just about economic headwinds or political uncertainty, it’s about something quieter, more technical and yet just as dangerous - the rising tide of cyber threats.

Read more...
Enabling a sustainable industrial organisation
IT in Manufacturing
This article explains the top sustainability trends and key actions that you can leverage to become a more sustainable organisation.

Read more...
Navigating discrete manufacturing in South Africa through digitalisation
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s discrete manufacturing sector faces mounting pressure from global competition, fragmented supply chains and outdated infrastructure. In this complex environment, digitalisation is a critical lever for survival, resilience and growth.

Read more...
Africa’s pragmatic approach to AI and how data centres are enabling it
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
In Africa, the current AI momentum is driven by a fundamental need, building a resilient digital infrastructure that addresses the real-world challenges of the continent’s communities.

Read more...
World first simulation of error-correctable quantum computers
IT in Manufacturing
Quantum computers still face a major hurdle on their pathway to practical use cases, their limited ability to correct the arising computational errors. In a world first, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have unveiled a method for simulating specific types of error-corrected quantum computations.

Read more...
Platform to accelerate supply chain decarbonisation
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric has launched Zeigo Hub by Schneider Electric, a powerful new digital platform designed to help organisations decarbonise their supply chains at scale.

Read more...
Future-ready data centres
IT in Manufacturing
The white paper ‘Future-Ready Data Centres’ by Black & Veatch outlines how integrating sustainable design principles not only helps meet ESG goals but also ensures reliability, operational efficiency and business continuity in the face of climate change and growing digital demand.

Read more...
Sustainable energy management
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Utilising its innovative ONE approach technology, Siemens provides complete transparency on resource consumption and offers data-driven optimisation recommendations for sustainable energy management.

Read more...
Enhancing operational safety and efficiency through advanced risk-based modelling
IT in Manufacturing
Now, more than ever, capital and operational cost can be reduced while enhancing operational safety and increasing production uptime by applying transformative methods such as Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved