For integrating systems such as satellites, aircraft, automobiles, and communications infrastructure combined with multiple antennas and communication systems onto a single platform, ANSYS HFSS is capable of handling the complexity and large problem size. Advanced methods in HFSS include improved matrix solvers, better scalability for HPC computing, improved mixed-order solutions and a distributed direct matrix solver. These enhancements allow HFSS to remain the gold standard with regard to accuracy and solving the largest and most challenging electromagnetics problems in the shortest amount of time.

ANSYS HFSS for ECAD

Electromagnetics solutions must provide precise results within customer’s design flow. To streamline the customer’s experience, the HFSS for ECAD approach allows engineers to run complex 3-D HFSS simulations from a layout-based, ECAD environment. HFSS incorporates a faster mesher in the setup and an improved layer stackup dialog. The technology allows users to embed circuit elements directly from layout in an HFSS for ECAD simulation.

Wireless and Antenna Solution

HFSS has an improved current array simulation capability with the addition of an arbitrary array mask, allowing composite excitations, phase center calculations and arbitrary slant polarization far-field plotting. The technology also enables you to perform full-array visualizations. For the handheld smartphone segment, additional capabilities ensure hearing-aid compatibility and multi-in, multi-out (MIMO) calculations.

HF Electromagnetics to Structural Coupling

Fully coupled electrothermal-stress simulation is easier since you can link ANSYS HFSS to ANSYS Mechanical within ANSYS Workbench. Electrical loads computed by HFSS are passed to ANSYS Mechanical, which then can be used to simulate temperature increases and  associated deformation of the geometry. Those deformations can then be passed back to HFSS to allow further electromagnetic simulations and to evaluate the effect of the deformations.

Integrated Solution for Electrical Machine

For the motor design segment, ANSYS RMxprt provides a full analytical solution for interior permanent magnet (IPM) topologies that are popular in hybrid and electric vehicles. ANSYS Maxwell includes improved meshing for the 2-D transient solver with a better and faster general-purpose mesher. TAU mesh technology is available in 2-D for motor cross sections; it provides a higher quality mesh with greater speed for complex models. It also provides auto-healing for dirty models. A novel pseudo-clone mesh creates identical mesh for symmetrical motor designs to increase accuracy and speed solution. Maxwell 3-D magnetic transient analysis is accelerated with HPC functionality using multicore, shared-memory simulation.

Esterel–ANSYS Simplorer Coupling

A systems-level engineering approach that brings hardware and software together earlier in the design process is crucial to avoiding design errors being introduced at a point when changes are costly.

With the integration of recently acquired ANSYS subsidiary Esterel Technologies’ SCADE Suite with ANSYS Simplorer in version 14.5, companies can virtually validate power electronic and mechatronic systems earlier in the design process by simulating the embedded software with the hardware, including electrical, mechanical and fluidic subsystems. This capability increases the design fidelity and boosts confidence that products will perform as expected in the real world.

Advanced Hysteresis Modeling

ANSYS Maxwell incorporates the most advanced material modeling in the low-frequency simulation space. Vector hysteresis modeling can analyze hard materials with large coercivity, suitable to analyze magnetization and demagnetization of permanent magnets. This capability is critical as it provides better accuracy in field computation in devices (machines, transformers).

Multiphysics Coupling via ANSYS Workbench

The nonlinear nature of materials used in magnetic devices, such as motors and transformers, has a strong dependence on temperature. Likewise, the losses in these components require the ability to include temperature effects. ANSYS 14.5 improves the two-way links between ANSYS Maxwell and ANSYS Fluent, provides a one-way link to ANSYS IcePak from Maxwell, and utilizes a Workbench component iterator to automate the number of iterations being performed on a two-way Workbench coupled model.

Post-Processing Enhancements

The 14.5 release provides the use of nonmodel sheet objects for field processing, making it fast and convenient to select objects and surfaces for field processing.  Additional enhancements include field overlay markers and faster response time when modeling large electric machines or devices.

EMI/EMC Capabilities

ANSYS Simplorer couples with the ANSYS HFSS solver, which can be used to compute electromagnetic radiation.  Simplorer links to HFSS piece-wise linear (PWL) sources and supports integration with the network data explorer (NDE) to examine coupling effects.

Mixed-Signal Description Languages

To achieve systems simulations, ANSYS Simplorer includes a VHDL-AMS compiler with enhanced language coverage, bringing higher capacity to solve larger problems. It provides full support of the AK30 libraries, a popular benchmark for the automotive industry. Simplorer also includes a digital solver.

Device Characterization Tools

For advanced power semiconductor modeling requirements, ANSYS Simplorer incorporates a characterization tool for power MOSFET devices. This tool enables you to input all numbers and curves from datasheets and create a very accurate dynamic MOSFET model. Improvements have been made for the IGBT characterization tool.