MotorAnalysis-PM

MotorAnalysis - Electric Machine Design and Analysis Software

MotorAnalysis-PM

Overview

MotorAnalysis-PM is a free software for design and analysis of permanent magnet (PM) motors and generators. MotorAnalysis-PM supports different machine types including brushless DC (BLDC) motors and generators and permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM) and generators with surface-mounted or interior permanent magnets (IPM). MotorAnalysis-PM is based on automated finite element analysis (FEA) simulations and establishes a complete set of tools for design and analysis of permanent magnet machines. MotorAnalysis-PM is available as a MALTAB-based application or as a standalone program working without MATLAB.  

What is the difference between PMAC, BLAC (brushless AC), PMSM (permanent magnet synchronous motor) and BLDC (brushless DC)?

In general, all of them are PM machines and they are very similar in terms of construction. The major difference is in the drive system. PMAC, PMSM and brushless AC are synonymous terms. They operate on a PWM AC (sine-wave) drive while BLDC motors utilize six-step (trapezoidal) drives. MotorAnalysis-PM is able to simulate both sine-wave (including ideal sinusoidal waveform and PWM) and six-step drives.

Features

  • Inner and outer rotor topologies
  • Skewed stator and rotor geometries are solved with multi-slice FEA
  • DXF stator and rotor import
  • Automatic or manual stator winding layout generation
  • Different wire sizing methods
  • Materials Library and user defined materials
  • Different drive types: sine-wave and six-step
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Analysis Methods

  • Based on time-stepping magnetostatic finite element simulations assuming ideal sinusoidal or trapezoidal current waveform
  • Calculation of most commonly used motor parameters like voltage, current, power, back-EMF, torque, power factor, efficiency, losses
  • Waveform plots, air gap distribution and field plots as well as animations
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  • Based on a conventional model of the motor in D-Q reference frame derived from FEA solutions
  • Saturation and cross-saturation are taken into account
  • Calculation of steady-state performance characteristics and efficiency maps
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  • Based on the dynamic model of the motor in D-Q reference frame
  • Simulation of the motor with PWM supply and current control algorithm
  • Most powerful and most accurate of all the analysis methods
  • Based on time-stepping transient finite element simulations
  • FEA simulations with coupled electrical circuits
  • Arbitrary supply current or voltage waveforms including PWM inverter supply
  • Waveform plots, air gap distribution and field plots as well as animations
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