Modeling Overlapping Laminations in Magnetic Core Materials Using 2-D Finite-Element Analysis

This paper describes a technique for modeling overlapping laminations in magnetic core materials using two-dimensional finite-element (2-D FE) analysis. The magnetizing characteristic of the overlapping region is captured using a simple 2-D FE model of the periodic overlapping geometry and a composite material is created, which has the same magnetization characteristic. The benefit of this technique is that it allows a designer to perform design and optimization of magnetic cores with overlapped laminations using a 2-D FE model rather than a 3-D FE model, which saves modeling and simulation time. The modeling technique is verified experimentally by creating a composite material of a lap joint with a 3-mm overlapping region and using it in a 2-D FE model of a ring sample made up of a stack of 20 laminations. The B-H curve of the simulated ring sample is compared with the B-H curve obtained experimentally and shown to be a close match.