SHD Sim EM
Fields, currents and machines
One Elmer integration covers electromagnetics, thermal, elasticity and acoustics — with coupled-field solution built in rather than bolted on.
This module is available.
What it runs on
Established open-source solvers, bundled or provisioned — the same approach as the CFD module, where the case for paying is the hours the interface saves rather than a solver nobody else has.
Elmer
The whole module, driven by a readable .sif deck
openEMS / Palace
Only if RF is genuinely wanted — a different discretisation and a different audience
Analysis types
7 of them, in 3 groups, each with the backend that serves it. Naming the backend per row is deliberate: it is what tells you whether a capability is a setting away or a different solver entirely.
Static fields
The steady problems: where the field is, what force it exerts, what it stores.
| Analysis type | Backend | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electrostatics | Elmer | Fields, capacitance, forces |
| Current conduction (DC) | Elmer | Resistive networks in solids, current density |
| Magnetostatics | Elmer | Permanent magnets, DC coils, forces |
Time-varying
Where the interesting engineering is: losses, skin effect and shielding all fall out of the same AC magnetics solution.
| Analysis type | Backend | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eddy currents / AC magnetics | Elmer | Losses, skin effect, shielding |
| Electric machines | Elmer | Torque, cogging, losses |
Coupled
An electromagnetic result that becomes a load on another physics — which is the reason to have both in one application.
| Analysis type | Backend | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electromagnetic forces | Elmer | Feeds a structural case one-way |
| Electro-thermal | Elmer | Joule heating coupled internally |
What you would use it for
Written as questions because that is how the work arrives. Nobody sets out to run a modal analysis; they set out to find whether the thing will resonate.
What is the torque, and how much does it cog?
Electric machine analysis in Elmer gives torque against rotor position, so cogging is a curve rather than a guess.
Where are my losses going?
Eddy-current analysis resolves skin effect and proximity loss — the losses crowd towards the surface and you can see exactly where.
Does this shield actually shield?
AC magnetics through the shield gives the attenuation, including the frequency where it stops working.
How hard does the magnet pull?
Magnetostatic force on a part, which then feeds a structural case one-way as a real load.
Will the connector overheat at rated current?
Electro-thermal, coupled inside Elmer rather than passed between two tools.
Who asks these questions
- Electrical machines and drives
- Power electronics
- Transformers and magnetics
- Automotive and EV
- Aerospace and defence
- Medical devices
- Rail traction
Sectors where this analysis is routine — not a claim that we have customers in them.
How to get it
Add EM on the pricing page, choose named or floating seats, and the same licence unlocks local solving, paid-tier scale and eligible SHD Cloud workflows for this module.