For electromagnetic analysis, we recommend two solvers: Elmer and FEMM. The latter is limited to two dimensions, supporting both planar 2D and axial-symmetric geometries.

At first, using a 2D solver may seem limiting, but, on the contrary, in my working experiences in electromagnetic development, approximately 95% of the problems were correctly solved using a two-dimensional modeling approach.

Consider electromagnetic applications such as:

• linear actuator,

• motor,

• generator,

• vibration pump,

just to mention a few.

Using a 2D model greatly simplifies the discretization process, which, in FEMM, is completely automated using the Triangle software.

Unlike in other FEM/FEA applications, in electromagnetic analysis, designers are most interested in understanding how electromagnetic forces interact with the surrounding environment. Very often, we focus on moving parts and how they move and accelerate under the influence of electromagnetic forces.

The integration of motion for mobile parts, induction, and other electromagnetic couplings can be managed using the LUA scripting language, which is already integrated into FEMM.

For all these reasons, the 2D model approach with the integrated LUA scripting and the auto-triangulation mesh of Triangle makes FEMM a truly professional solution for engineering electromagnetic devices.

For the remaining 5% of real three-dimensional electromagnetic problems that cannot be simplified into a 2D model, we recommend using the Elmer solver. With some restrictions, it is capable of managing small moving parts using mesh-morphing solutions.

Here, you can see an example of a simple 2D model employed in a highly complex simulation. Electromagnetic forces are utilized to predict the pump's operating point under a counterpressure of 12 [bar].

Take a look to this video to understand the basic functioning of the pump.

The vibration pump tutorial is avaible at this link.