Frequency Domain Decomposition of 3-D Eddy Current Problems in Steel Laminations of Induction Machines

A novel method to reduce the computational burden of 3-D eddy current problems in steel laminations of induction machines is presented. Instead of a nonlinear time-stepping analysis, a set of linear time-harmonic simulations for known frequencies is used. The linear model considers the machines´ saturation by a reluctivity obtained from a nonlinear 2-D field solution. Solving the time-harmonic problems in parallel results in a fast method. Comparisons with a time-stepping approach confirm the validity of the proposed method. Different eddy current formulations are investigated to accelerate the solution of the time-harmonic problems.