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The roots of Omni-FEM begin with FEMM (Finite Element Method Magnetics). Omni-FEM will restructure FEMM in order to incorporate native linux support, native transient support, SPICE coupled FEA simulator, and more. Currently, Omni-FEM will be built in order to handle 2-D electromagnetics. However, through the support of the community, we expect that Omni-FEM will branch out into other fields and be able to simulate coupled multiphysics. We expect that Omni-FEM will be able to simulate not only electromagnetics but also structual mechanics, plasma physics, and biology.
Currently, the primary goal of the E/M module of Omni-FEM is to simulate the nonlinear properties associated with magnetic materials. These properties have been a significant topic of interest in electric machines. There are a number of different simulators that can potentially simulate these properties, with both commercial and open source packages available. COMSOL, Ansys, and MagNet 2D/3D are examples of popular commercial software packages that can be programmed to solve electrical and magnetic problems. These software packages usually contain advanced features such as optimization algorithms, parallel computing engines, and a built in circuit simulator. Commercial software also has a shorter “setup” time meaning that the user needs to spend less time configuring the package to run after it is installed. However, the primary disadvantage of commercial software is its prohibitively high cost. This characteristic prevents its use by small businesses, low budget research projects, and freelance researchers. One alternative is to use open source software such as FEMM (Finite Element Method Magnetics), AGROS 2D, or Elmer. A disadvantage shared by these packages is that there is a longer “setup” time associated with open source software due to the sparse documentation, limited interface options, and limited features. The above mentioned open source programs are unable to simulate nonlinear properties of magnetic materials due to the lack of advanced features such as circuit simulation, parallel computing, and accurate modeling of the dynamic hysteresis loop under transient conditions.
In order to create Omni-FEM, I will be integrating DEAL.II, Trilinos, and BOOST into FEMM. Omni-FEM will also be capable of the following features:
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Transient Analysis Engine - Support for transient analysis for magnetic and electrostatic problems. This will allow FEMM to support the solution of time-dependent problems and will pave the way for the implementation of a SPICE Engine.
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Parallel Computing - Support for native parallel FEA simulation. This will allow FEMM to be scalable from running on a desktop with several processing cores to running on a computer cluster with hundreds to thousands of cores.
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SPICE Engine - Support for a parallel enabled SPICE Engine with a circuit-coupled FEA module. The module will allow various parameters of the circuit to influence the FEA simulation and vice-versa.
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Jiles-Artherton Hystersis Model - Support for the Jiles-Artherton model. This addition will allow users to accurately model the dynamic hysteresis loop under transient conditions.
The ultimate goal of of this project is to support the simulation and development of emerging technologies, at a low cost, by sharing the source code for Omni-FEM as an open source project. This project will allow free access to the same powerful capabilities implemented in commercial software packages such as COMSOL, Ansys, and MagNet. As an open source project, small businesses, low budget research projects, and freelance researchers will be given an increased opportunity to be creative and innovative in their field. This will lead to the rapid development of emerging technologies.
This project is currently being supported by the company Resonance Group (www.resonancegroupusa.com). For more information, please email: phillipmobley@resonancegroupusa.com or phillipmobley2@gmail.com. I am currently the solo developer for this program. My fork has the latest copy and right now, I update the master repository (this one) about once a month. If more traffic comes through, I will start to update more frequently.
Currently, I am working on the post procecssor for the simulator. There is a alpha prototype of the solver available that only solves for the voltage scalar field and the electric field in a linear medium
In order to contribute to the project, fork the Omni-FEM code and then submit a pull request when edits have been made.