A new method for coupling finite element field solutions with external circuits and kinematics

Advantages over previous methods are the preservation of the sparsity, symmetry, and positive-definiteness of the finite-element matrix, and the ability to model efficiently nonlinear circuits of arbitrary complexity. This method is applied to a simple example. The ability to model nonlinear circuits of arbitrary complexity lends itself to the analysis of switched reluctance motors and other electronically controlled devices that are not amenable to a traditional fundamental frequency analysis