3-D Hybrid FEM–BEM Using Whitney Facet Elements and Independent Loops

Abstract

This paper presents a hybrid formulation using Whitney facet elements. This formulation is efficient for the modeling of unbounded 3-D magnetostatic problems. Boundary element method is used to model the unbounded regions and finite element method to model the ferromagnetic ones. Using equivalent circuit representation, the problem is changed, the degrees of freedom becoming magnetic flux in loops instead of faces. As a result, the dimension of the system to be solved is decreased.Index Terms-Boundary element method (BEM), facet finite elements, hybrid FEM-BEM, magnetostatics.

A Coupling Between the Facet Finite Element and Reluctance Network Methods in 3-D

“…It is presented using nodal, edge and facet elements in [16]- [22]. The FFEM (FEM with Whitney facet basis functions) is also applied in [23] and [24] to model static fields and seems to be an appropriate solution for the coupling with the RNM, since its application considering a magnetostatic formulation [24]- [26] generates an FFEM stiffness matrix that can be interpreted as a magnetic circuit [27] [28].…”