A comparison of finite element and boundary element formulations for three-dimensional magnetostatic problems

Several numerical methods are currently in vogue for solving two-dimensional magnetic field problems [1,2,3]. Some of the techniques that have been efficiently applied to model 2D and axisymmetric fields are the boundary element method [4] and the finite element method [3]. However, engineering problems are truly three-dimensional, such as the end-region fields of electrical machinery, fringing fields of accelerator magnets, and others. There is now a growing interest in three-dimensional calculations for evaluating the field distribution. This paper presents the results of a three-dimensional magnetostatic problem solved by both the boundary element method and a hybrid finite element method. The formulations are described with the aim of illustrating the relative merits of each. The results are compared for a test case.