Why Is Electromagnetic Analysis So Valuable To Our
Customers?
VIAS3D | 3D Experience | Delmia
Figure 1: Electromagnetic Capabilities.
Electromagnetism is found everywhere, from industries to our daily life. Electromagnetic
fields coming from different sources such as broadcasting antennas, wireless devices
are ubiquitous around us. In general, the scope of electromagnetic analysis is enormous
because any device which consumes or produces electricity uses electromagnetic
energy. Even in nature, we visualize remarkable effects, such as lightning and polar
lights.
Even though electromagnetic fields are everywhere, we can’t see them. We often cannot
do experiments to test the reliability of their operation, either for safety reasons or
because it is expensive. Therefore, electromagnetic simulation has become a crucial
analysis in the earliest stages of device development.
Here are some of the industry challenges of electromagnetic simulations:
Aerospace & Defense: All communication systems need antennas to provide a stable
communication link. More sophisticated antennas, such as phased arrays comprise of
many radiating elements tightly packed together. Simulation can help in the array design
process and the geometrical alignment of the various components to analyze the
installed performance of the antenna system on a more complex platform.
Figure 2: Blade Antenna far-field and E-Field on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
High Tech: It relies heavily on electromagnetics. With ever-increasing data transmission
speeds and ever more compact devices, there is a challenge to continue to deliver
high-quality products. Electromagnetic simulations allow you to see what happens
during device operation, from how waves propagate in the environment to the board
level inside the device, which helps to optimize product design and ensure product
quality.
Figure 3: CST PCB & Package Simulation Workflow.
Transportation & Mobility: The rise of sensors usage and connectivity for lane assist,
auto-pilot, device connectivity means the designers have to bring electromagnetic
analysis early in their design process. In recent years, electronics and software
applications have driven 80% of automotive innovations. Adopting electronics in a
modern vehicle leads to more electromagnetic fields being present and the need to
make sure that each system works and doesn’t interfere with the growing number of
other electronic-based systems that are or will be present. Perhaps not given much
thought by the public, but other applications like motors and generators are the
workhorses of the industry. While these have been around for a long-time, development
continues with simulation for electric drives to continuously optimize the designs and
make viable new markets for electric vehicles.
Figure 4: Electrical Machine Efficiency in Induction Motors. Source: 3DS.
Compliance & Life Sciences: The interaction of electromagnetic fields and the body is
essential for modern communication devices, cell phones, and advanced medical
monitoring, imaging, and treatment systems. Direct measurement inside a body is not a
viable solution. Therefore, electromagnetic simulation is the only way to analyze the
complex field distribution inside the body, ensure the device’s functionality, and avoid
unintentional damage because of energy absorption inside the tissues.
Figure 5: Post-processing Analysis, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). Source: 3DS.
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG): Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems are
required at industrial levels to track products, assets, and material flow. Electromagnetic
simulations have become crucial to better understand the device’s behavior, allowing
engineers to examine how the system will behave in a realistic environment. These
environmental effects can be brutal to detect without using simulation.
Figure 6: Design Workflow of RFID Systems.
Marine & Offshore: Analyzing ship signatures because of Earth’s magnetic field is
challenging for this industry. Modeling and optimization of multiple design parameters
using Opera reduce design errors and the need for rework. Accurate modeling of ship
signatures using filamentary conductors and thin plate boundary conditions reduces
computational time and improves the design. Opera optimization capabilities allow
finding the optimum set of parameters to minimize the vessel signature to the desired
level and meet design requirements confidently.
Figure 7: Designing racetrack conductors for degaussing problems in a ship. Source:
3DS.
Energy & Materials: Non-destructive testing or evaluation (NDT or NDE) is a process
used in industry to evaluate the properties of a material or a system without damaging
it. Electromagnetic simulations can design and analyze the different methods
implemented in this test with high reliability. Opera-3D includes simulation tools that are
very effective for creating non-destructive testing equipment.
Figure 8: Coil above a Crack: A problem in Non-destructive Testing. Opera-3D results.
Source: 3DS.
Industrial Equipment: 5G promises to bring to the market high speed, more capacity to
connect different devices simultaneously, more reliability, and a significantly reduced
latency. In an industrial context, it represents the development of intelligent factories
with highly efficient production. It is necessary to look at many aspects of intelligent
manufacturing and the Internet of Things (IoT). The equipment needs to represent the
best performances in connectivity with base stations for complete coverage without
blind spots in the environment. Everything will need sensors and antennas to
communicate. Engineers and Manufacturers need to consider the outside influences to
avoid interferences with the ongoing operations. With electromagnetic simulations, we
have a comprehensive set of solutions for various aspects of network design in an
industrial environment, from large complex dynamic scenarios to details to ensure we
get relevant results.
Figure 9: RF Coverage Simulation Results. Electric field magnitude at 3.6 GHz at the
height of 1 m above the factory floor. Source: 3DS.
Despite the challenges presented above, innovations are commonplace in many
industries. However, the development time is often long, taking up to almost a decade to
bring a new airplane to market or several years to develop a new car. This amount of
time would mean always being late to market with a unique design, and the benefits of
being first, even by months, can be enormous. For this reason, electromagnetic
simulation is a vital aspect of these short device development cycles.
In VIAS3D, we have a reliable technical team with solid technical knowledge to help you
with the electromagnetic analysis you need to develop. If you would like to know more
about our capabilities, please contact:
Pankaj Jha, pjha@viascorp.com or Arindam Chakraborty, PhD, PE,
achakraborty@viascorp.com
Who we are: VIAS3D delivers integrated engineering solutions using simulation-based
design and analysis, data analytics, and material testing for a variety of industries
including high-tech, energy, process, utilities, transportation, and oil & gas. We bring to
our clients dedicated, cost-effective, quick, and safer solutions with an experienced
team of simulation experts and industry professionals. VIAS3D also provides
engineering design, root cause analysis, optimization, project management, operations
support, and operations integrity assessment with a combined personnel experience of
more than 100 years covering industrial equipment, boiler, and pressure vessel industry,
offshore engineering, etc. VIAS3D has workflow automation and GUI customization
capabilities. It also provides knowledge transfer through customized training.
Contributors:
Ismary Lavandera, M.S., EMAG Solutions Engineer at VIAS3D.
Ismary has 7 years of experience working on RF and Microwave systems, modeling, and
simulating different types of Electromagnetic problems. She has academic and
industrial experience from MHz to THz in specific topics like Antenna, Antenna Array,
Power Amplifier Design, broadband matching networks design, and Filter design. She
provides technical support and engineering services to customers for Electromagnetics
solutions. She received her B.S and M.S degrees in electronics and telecommunications
engineering from the Technological University of Habana.
Pankaj Jha, M.S., Global EMAG Technical Lead at VIAS3D.
Pankaj is an RF and Microwave engineer with more than 9 years of academic and
industrial experience in modeling and simulation different types of electromagnetic
problems. He has worked in Antenna, Antenna Array, Filter Design, Microwave, and RF
circuits from GHz to THz, Bio-electromagnetics, EMI/EMC, EDA/Electronics, and
Low-Frequency Electromagnetic problems. He leads the electromagnetic applications at
VIAS3D and helps drive the growth of VIAS electromagnetic solutions to customers. He
worked with Dassault Systems as a Solution Consultant and was responsible for
Aerospace & Defense and High-Tech industry technical portfolios for the CST Studio
Suite. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D), where he
studied Radio Frequency Design and Technology.
To learn more in detail about how we can help you in your area of work, get in touch with
us at info@viascorp.com or visit www.vias3d.com