CAD package for electromagnetic and thermal analysis

using finite elements

Mesh skin effect

Flux

Table of contents

Table of contents

1. Skin effect and mesh: reminders .........................................................................................1

2. An economical mesh (in number of elements) ...................................................................3
3. An easy meshing (few manual operations) .........................................................................5
4. The macro: Skin effect mesh (1) ..........................................................................................6
5. The macro : Skin effect mesh (2) .......................................................................................10

Mesh skin effect

PAGE A

Flux

Skin effect and mesh: reminders

1.

Introduction

Skin effect and mesh: reminders

When physical phenomena are concentrated in the skin depth, a good

meshing of the area can be tricky.
This document provides several strategies to mesh skin depth.

Skin effect:
reminder

The expression of the skin effect pertains to the phenomena which occur
when time varying currents are flowing through a conductor.
The AC electric currents are not uniformly distributed in the conductor crosssection for they group themselves in the external layers close to the conductor
surface. There is a concentration of current lines towards the outer surface of
the conductor.
This happens when the value of either the frequency (f), or the permeability
(), or those of the electric conductivity () are high.

Skin depth:
definition

The average value of skin depth in which the electric currents flow can be
calculated using the following formula:
2

(for a linear, homogenous and isotropic material)

where:
is the current pulsation ( 2 f )

is the medium permeability

is the conductivity of medium

Mesh skin effect

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Skin effect and mesh: reminders

Mesh of the
skin region:
rule to observe

The physical quantities of the electric current or the magnetic field are
exponentially decreasing in the skin depth.
In order to have an accurate evaluation of the physical quantities in the skin
depth at the surface of the conductor: it is necessary to have at least two
layers of elements (of second order) in the thickness of this region.
A mesh example of the skin
depth region is presented in
the figure to the right.

!!! Pronounced
skin effect !!!

Flux

If the skin effect is pronounced, mesh problems appear. Indeed, it becomes

too difficult to adhere to the above mesh rule without drastically increase the
number of elements.
We deal with a pronounced skin effect when the electromagnetic field
penetration and the value of the skin depth become too small in relation to
the characteristic dimensions of the conductors: L, r , where L is the
length or width, and r is the curvature radius of the conductor.

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Mesh skin effect

Flux

An economical mesh (in number of elements)

2.

Relevance of
rectangular
elements (or
hexahedron)

An economical mesh (in number of

elements)

To mesh the skin depth it may be judicious to use rectangular type elements
(or hexahedron in 3D) in the skin depth zone.
Indeed, with the physical phenomena concentrated in a low thickness depth, it
is possible to significantly distort the elements in order that they should get
adapted to the physical requirements of the problem.
The rest of the study domain can be meshed by triangular elements.

Choice of mesh
generators

The available mesh generators are the following:

the mapped mesh generator (2D, 3D)
an extruded mesh generator with a mapped base (3D)
The rest of the study domain is meshed using the automatic mesh generator.

2D Example

A 2D example of mesh on the skin depth is shown in the figure below.

magnetic circuit
inductor
billet

Mapped mesh
of skin depth

= skin depth

Continued on next page

Mesh skin effect

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An economical mesh (in number of elements)

3D Example

Flux

A 3D example of mesh on the skin depth is shown in the figure below.

The most critical volumes (the volumes corresponding to the skin depth of the
bar) are meshed using the extrusive mesh generator. The rest of the study
domain is meshed using the automatic mesh generator (inside the bar and the
surrounding air).

Advantages /
drawbacks

Advantages:

It is possible to reduce a lot the number of elements in comparison with a

triangular mesh (or tetrahedron). This type of mesh is therefore very
economical in number of nodes, especially in 3D.
Drawbacks:

It is necessary to anticipate the mesh at the moment of the geometric

construction. Indeed, you must create points, lines, and faces (and volumes)
of the zone relative to the skin depth.

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Mesh skin effect

Flux

An easy meshing (few manual operations)

3.

An easy meshing (few manual operations)

Relevance of
triangular
elements (or
tetrahedron)

In order to mesh the skin depth it can be interesting to use elements of

triangular type (or tetrahedron in 3D) in the skin depth zone.

Aided mesh

The Aided mesh permits the rapid carrying out of a good quality mesh. The
information for adjustment is supplied by the assembly of geometric entities
of the project (points, lines, faces ). The aided mesh administers in a
dynamically this information of adjustment over the assembly of the project.

Indeed, by combining the currently available tools in Flux (Aided mesh, and
macro Mesh skin effect), the user can rapidly and efficiently mesh any device.

More information on Aided mesh is available in the User guide, Volume 1,

chapter 9: Mesh principles

Macro Skin
effect mesh

The macro Skin effect mesh permits to add physical constraints to the mesh
carried out with Aided mesh.
The regions impacted by the skin effect are treated again by the macro Skin
effect mesh. Specific adjustment information is then added on the regions in
order to carry out a dense mesh in the contour area and very relaxed mesh at
the centre.

Advantages /
drawbacks

Advantages:

It is possible to carry out the mesh of the device in a very simple manner.
Drawbacks:

It is possible to considerably increase the number of elements, in comparison

to a rectangular mesh (or hexahedron). This type of mesh can therefore be
very costly in number of nodes, especially in 3D.

Mesh skin effect

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The macro: Skin effect mesh (1)

Flux

4.

The macro: Skin effect mesh (1)

Foreword /
reading advice

To correctly understand the macros (definition, utilization, examples, ), you

can consult the section : Language PyFlux, command files and macros
(Volume 1 / Chapter 6)

Macros for the

Skin effect
mesh

There are in Flux two macros that permit to carry out the skin effect mesh :
one macro 2D for the mesh of the skin depth of the surface regions :
MeshSkinEffectFaceRegions.PFM
one macro 3D for the mesh of the skin depth of the volume regions :
MeshSkinEffectVolumeRegions.PFM
These two macros are stored in the following folders :
C:\Cedrat\Extensions\Macros\Macros_Flux2D_Mesh
C:\Cedrat\Extensions\Macros\Macros_Flux3D_Mesh

Definition

The macro Skin effect mesh permits to add a physical constraint

(concentrated mesh on the contour and relaxed at the centre of the regions) to
the mesh carried out with Aided mesh.

Approach

With the macro applied on the regions, it is necessary to have defined the
physical characteristics of the device before executing it. Here are the stages
in the carrying out of a study integrating the skin effect.
Stage
1
2
3
4

PAGE 6

Action

Define the geometry

Define the mesh and mesh the device
Define the physical characteristics
Charge and execute the macro Skin effect mesh

Mesh skin effect

Flux

Characteristics

The macro: Skin effect mesh (1)

The macro Skin effect mesh presents the following characteristics :

the skin effect mesh is applied on the contour of the chosen regions
the internal lines to the regions are ignored
the regions can comprise distinct faces
the symmetry and periodicity are taken into account for meshing
The macro Skin effect mesh can be used several times for the same project.
Continued on next page

Mesh skin effect

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The macro: Skin effect mesh (1)

Description

Flux

The macro Skin effect mesh concentrates several commands in a fixed order.
It receives (input) one or more parameters and executes (output) a series of
predefined actions.
The parameters of input are given in the table below.
The actions performed are presented in the following sections.
Parameter in input

Name

Number of layers

Skin depth thickness

Surface regions (2D)
Volume regions (3D)
Associated color

Excluded lines (2D)

Excluded faces(3D)

Description

Entities created
automatically
permits to identify the entities
RELAXLINE_NAME
created and used by the macro
RELAXFACE_NAME
RELAXVOLUME_NAM
E (3D)
MESHPOINT_NAME
definition of number of layers in Parameter
the thickness of the skin depth
NBRLAYERS_NAME
(over or equal to 2)
definition of the value of the skin Parameter
depth thickness (in meter)
SKIN_DEPTH_NAME
regions where it is desired to
carry out the skin effect mesh
permits to identify the skin effect
mesh generated across the
entities of mesh created
lines (in 2D) or faces (in 3D)
excluded from contour

Note :
The lines or faces excluded are the lines or faces of the contour over which the skin
effect mesh will not be applied. This entry is particularly useful in 3D in order to
simplify the mesh wherever this is possible (see example 3D below).

Actions of the
macro (2D)

The main actions carried out by the macro 2D are described in the table
below :
Phase
1
2
3
4
5

Description
Creation of a medium relaxation face entity (RELAXFACE_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the faces
Creation of an inactive relaxation line entity (RELAXLINE_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the contour lines
Creation of a mesh point entity equal to the skin depth thickness
divided by the number of layers (MESHPOINT_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the contour points
Continued on next page

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Mesh skin effect

Flux

Actions of the
macro (3D)

The macro: Skin effect mesh (1)

The main actions carried out by the macro 3D are described in the table
below :
Phase
1

2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Mesh skin effect

Description
Creation of a medium relaxation volume entity
(RELAXVOLUME_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the volumes
Creation of an inactive relaxation face entity (RELAXFACE_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the contour of the faces
Creation of an inactive relaxation line entity (RELAXLINE_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the contour lines
Creation of a mesh point entity equal to the skin depth thickness
divided by the number of layers (MESHPOINT_NAME)
Assignment of the entity on the contour points

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The macro : Skin effect mesh (2)

Flux

5.

Example 2D

The macro : Skin effect mesh (2)

An example 2D of skin effect mesh is represented in the figure below.

Continued on next page

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Mesh skin effect

Flux

Example 3D

The macro : Skin effect mesh (2)

An example 3D of skin effect mesh is represented in the figure below.

In this case, the extremity faces of the bar have
been un-selected from the skin effect mesh (due to
the optional entry of the macro interface). This
permits to avoid useless over meshing.

Advice and tips

on use

Mesh skin effect

During the stage of definition of mesh, it is not advisable to add mesh

information on the zone where there is the skin effect at the moment when
the skin effect macro is being executed, as they can be suppressed. Only the
information referring to the mesh shape (mesh generators) are preserved by
the macro.
If after having applied the macro, it is wished to change the thickness of the
skin depth or the number of layers, it is advisable to do this by modifying
within the geometric parameters created by the macro (SKIN_DEPTH_NAME
& NBRLAYERS_NAME)
In 3D, it is sometimes difficult to select in the optional entry the faces that
should not be into consideration for the skin effect mesh, as they are not all
visible. One tip is to select them beforehand and regroup them by one
characteristic (the color for example). In the interface of the macro it is then
possible to choose the faces by this characteristic.

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The macro : Skin effect mesh (2)

Warnings

PAGE 12

Flux

It is not advisable to use the optional entry permitting to exclude the lines
(in 2D) / faces (in 3D) if it is not the first application of the macro on a
given region. To avoid this problem, it is possible to delete and replace the
mesh information manually by editing geometric entities to ignore:
If the aided mesh is activated, it is enough to replace the relaxation of the
lines in 2D, the faces and lines (at the intersection of two faces to be
ignored) in 3D by the aided relaxation (AIDED_RELAXLINE /
AIDED_RELAXFACE).
If the aided mesh is deactivated, the user can create a local relaxation and
assign it to the entities concerned.
Once the macro has been executed, it is advisable not to reopen the aided
mesh box as this can automatically place aided mesh information by
clicking on Apply or Ok .
If regions outline is on the edge of the domain the skin effect mesh does not
work

Mesh skin effect