5.

Derive the expressions of the shape functions of cubic Lagrange triangular

element

N i ( , )  ci Pi 1 ( , )Pi 2 ( , )Pi 3 ( , ), i  1,...,10

where Pij ’s are first order polynomials and ci ’s are constants.

SOLUTION

Let us build up the shape function N i ( , ) by multiplying the equations of three

straight lines. On these lines, the shape function gets a value equal to zero. So the
lines have to pass over all the nodal points, except node i. Finally, we should scale
the polynomial so that it obtains a value equal to 1 in node i, N i (i ,i )  1

1  0

1  0
3

8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2 
P1  1      0
2
P2      0
3
1
P3      0
3

2  1 
N 1 ( , )  c1  1                
3  3 
2 1 9
N 1 (0,0)  c1  1    1  c1 
3 3 2

9 2 1
N1   1            
     
2 3  3 
 2  1

2  0
3

8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2 
2
P3    0
3
1
P2    0
3
P1    0

1  2 
N 2  ,   c 2       
 3  3 
 2  1 9
N 2  1,0   c1  1          1  c 2 
 3  3 2

9 1  2 
N 2         
2 3  3 


3  0
3
3  1
2
8 7 P3    0
3

1
9 10 6 P2    0
3

1 4 5 2  P1    0
In a similar way as above

9 1  2 
N 3         
2 3  3 

N 3   ,   N 2  ,  


1
4 
3 3
4  0

8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2 

P1    0 P2  1      0

2
P3      0
3

2 
N 4  ,   c 4  1           
3 
1  1 2 1 27
N 4  ,0   c 4     1  c 4 
3  3 3 3 2

27 2
N4    1           
2 3 

2
5 
3 3
5  0

8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2 

P3  1      0
1
P2    0
3
P1    0
1 
N 5  ,   c 5      1     
3 
2  2  1 1 27
N 5  ,0   c 5        1  c 5  
3  3  3 3 2

27  1
N5        1     
2  3


2
6 
3 3
1
6 
3
8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2 
1
P3    0 P2    0
3
P1    0
 1 
N 6  ,   c6    
3 
 2 1 2 1  1 27
N 6  ,   c6        1  c6  
 3 3 3 3  3 2

27  1
N6      
2  3


1
7 
3 3
2
7 
3

8 7

1
9 10 6 P3    0
3

1 4 5 2  P2    0

P1    0
1 
N 7  ,   c7    
 3 
1 2 1 2  1 27
N 7  ,   c7        1  c 7  
3 3 3 3  3 2

27  1
N7     
2  3


8  0
3 2
8 
3
8 7

1
9 10 6 P2    0
3
P1    0
1 4 5 2 
P3  1      0

N 8  ,   N 5  ,  

27  1
N8      1     
2  3


9  0
3 1
9 
3

8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2  P1    0
P2  1      0
2
P3      0
3

N 9  ,   N 4  ,  

27 2
N9    1           
2 3 
 
1
10 
3 3
1
10 
3
8 7

9 10 6

1 4 5 2  P2    0
P1    0
P3  1      0

N 10  ,   c10  1     
1 1 1 1 1
N 10  ,   c10     1  c10  27
3 3 3 3 3

N 10  27  1     

If we want to use the area coordinates, the expressions between the two
coordinates should be substituted

1  1     , 2   , 3  

As examples

1 9
N1  1  31  1  31  2  , N 4  12  31  1  , N 10  27 12 3 etc.
2 2
6. Let us consider a salient pole synchronous motor at no-load, when there is no
current in the stator. The figure bellow illustrates the situation. Because of
symmetry, it is enough to study only the part restricted by the two dashed lines.

 B3

H

 B2
Js Js

x
P0
 B1

The source of the field is an excitation winding. Its current-density distribution J s

is known. Derive the partial differential equations of the field using
a) the reduced magnetic scalar potential 
b) the magnetic vector potential A
What kind of boundary conditions should be set for the potentials?
SOLUTION

a) Let’s denote the dashed line on the left and the outer boundaries by  B . The
dashed line to the right is marked by  H . On  B , the normal component of
the magnetic flux density is zero. Thus, the boundary condition is

Bn  0 on  B (1)
i.e.
By  0 on  B1 and  B3 (2)
Bx  0 on  B2 (3)

On  H , the tangential component of the magnetic field strength is zero and the
boundary condition is

H  t  0 on  H (4)
i.e.
H y  0 on  H (5)
The starting point is the Ampere law   H  J s and the divergence-free flux
density   B  0 . Further more, the material properties can be written as B   H .

a) Reduced magnetic scalar potential  .

The magnetic field strength can be written as

H  H s   (6)

where the source field strength H s is calculated from the source current density J s
using Biot-Savart Law

1  1 
Hs 
4  Js  r     r  r   d  (7)
s

where r is the vector of the point at which the field is calculated and r  the vector
of the point at which the source is situated.

Equation (7) fulfils the Ampere Law

   H  Js (8)

Thus, it is enough to require the divergence-free flux density

B  0 (9)
i.e.
    H s     0 (10)

This is the partial differential equation to be solved in the case of the reduced
magnetic scalar potential.

The normal component of flux density is zero on  B . Using (1), Equation (6) for
 becomes


   n     H s  n on  B (11)
n
i.e.

   H sy on  B1 and  B3 (12)
y

   H sx on  B2 (13)
x

This is a non-homogenous Neumann boundary condition. Such a boundary

condition is called a natural boundary condition meaning that the finite element
solution satisfies this condition automatically.

The tangential component of the magnetic field strength is zero on  H . Using (4),
we can write for the reduced magnetic scalar potential

  t  H s  t on  H (14)
i.e.

 H sy on  H (15)
y

Equation (15) can be integrated along  H

y
  0   H sy dy (16)
0

Where 0 is the potential at the reference point P0 . The value of the potential on
boundary  H is then fixed. This is a non-homogenous Dirichlet boundary
condition. This kind of a boundary condition is called an essential boundary
condition. In the finite element solution, this condition has to be forced.

b) Magnetic vector potential A .

Definition
 A  B (17)

The flux density from (17) satisfies automatically the divergence-free property (9).
It is enough to require that the Ampere law (8) is satisfied
1
   A  Js (18)

In a two dimensional problem (like the one we have here), the magnetic vector
potential and the source current density have only one component along the z-axis.
Equation (18) can be written as
1
 A   J s (19)

which is the partial differential equation to be solved in the case of the magnetic
vector potential.

From the definition (17), one gets the magnetic flux-density components
A
Bx  (20)
y
A
By   (21)
x
The normal component of the flux density is zero on  B . By investigating
Equations (20) and (21), one notices that this is satisfied if the vector potential is
constant on that boundary. The constant value can be set to zero. We have a
Dirichlet boundary condition on boundary  B .

From (20) and (21) one also gets the components of the magnetic field strength
1 A
Hx  (22)
 y
1 A
Hy   (23)
 x
The normal vector to the boundary can be written as
n  nx ex  ny ey (24)
and the tangent vector as

t  ny ex  nx ey (25)
On  H , the normal vector has only a component along the x -axis, which means
that the tangential vector has only a component along the y -axis. The vanishing of
the tangential component of the magnetic field strength (4), can be written by
using Equations (23) and (25)
1 A
nx  0 (26)
 x
This is a homogenous Neumann boundary condition for the vector potential A . It
is a natural boundary condition and the finite element solution fulfils it
automatically.