YOUR FASTEST SOLUTION TO A BETTER DESIGN

An introduction to

ElecNet
for
Static 2D Modeling

J D Edwards
May 2014
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email: [email protected]
fax: Documentation Department
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post: Documentation Department
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© 2014 Infolytica Corporation.

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, translated to another language, stored in a retrieval
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written permission from Infolytica Corporation.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

 Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Overview ....................................................................................................... 1
Modeling in 2D and 3D................................................................................. 3
Electric field concepts ................................................................................. 4
Using ElecNet effectively ............................................................................ 7
Getting help .................................................................................................. 8

Chapter 2 Tutorial: Parallel Channels 9

Introduction .................................................................................................. 9
Device Model .............................................................................................. 10
Building the model..................................................................................... 12
Solving the model ...................................................................................... 20
Post-processing ......................................................................................... 23
Modifying the model .................................................................................. 28
Postscript ................................................................................................... 35

Chapter 3 Case Studies: Translational Geometry 37

Introduction ................................................................................................ 37
Coaxial square conductors – 1 ................................................................. 38
Coaxial square conductors – 2 ................................................................. 41
Trimmed resistor........................................................................................ 44
Cylinder above a plane – 1 ........................................................................ 47
Cylinder above a plane – 2 ........................................................................ 50
Single PCB track ........................................................................................ 52
Twin PCB tracks......................................................................................... 55
Open boundary problem ........................................................................... 58
Chapter 4 Case Studies: Rotational Geometry 63
Introduction ................................................................................................ 63
Disc above a plane..................................................................................... 63
Two spheres ............................................................................................... 67

Chapter 5 Scripting 71
Introduction ................................................................................................ 71
Example model .......................................................................................... 72
Script for the model ................................................................................... 74
Creating a new script ................................................................................. 76
Automation with Excel............................................................................... 77

Appendix A Field Equations and Solution 87

Field equations........................................................................................... 87
Boundary conditions and symmetry ........................................................ 88
Numerical solution..................................................................................... 90

Appendix B Energy, Force and Capacitance 93

Stored energy ............................................................................................. 93
Force calculation ....................................................................................... 94
Capacitance calculation ............................................................................ 95

References 97
 Chapter 1 1
Introduction

Chapter 1

Introduction
Overview
The principal aim of this document is to introduce new users to the power of ElecNet for solving
2D static electric field and current-flow problems. A tutorial with detailed instructions takes the
first-time user through the most important features of ElecNet. This is followed by a series of
case studies illustrating modeling techniques and introducing further features of the package. The
document concludes with an introduction to advanced features that make ElecNet a uniquely
powerful tool.

What is ElecNet?
ElecNet is the most advanced package currently available for modeling electrical devices on a
personal computer. It complements the package MagNet, which models magnetic devices.
ElecNet provides a “virtual laboratory” in which the user can create models from materials and
electrodes, view displays in the form of field plots and graphs, and get numerical values for
quantities such as charge and force. An ElecNet user needs only an elementary knowledge of
electric field concepts to model existing devices, modify designs, and test new ideas.
ElecNet is designed as a full 3D-modeling tool for solving static and low frequency time-varying
electric field problems. Many devices can be represented very well by 2D models, so ElecNet
offers the option of 2D modeling, with a substantial saving in computing resources and solution
time.
A feature of ElecNet is its use of the latest methods of solving the field equations and calculating
quantities such as force and torque. To get reliable results, the user does not need to be an expert
in electromagnetic theory or numerical analysis. Nevertheless, the user does need to be aware of
the factors that govern the accuracy of the solution. One of the aims of this document is to show
how the user can obtain accurate results. In 2D, problems can be solved very rapidly, so it is
usually not necessary to consider the trade-off between speed and accuracy. In 3D modeling, on
the other hand, this is an important consideration.
For the advanced user, ElecNet offers powerful facilities for user-defined adjustment of the model
parameters, and control of the operation of the package with scripts and spreadsheets.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

2 Introduction to ElecNet

Limitations
The information given in this document has been prepared for the free Trial Edition of ElecNet,
and for the full version where the licensed features are restricted to static electric fields and 2D
models. The full version of ElecNet includes parameterization: the automatic solution of
sequences of problems with modified model parameters, which is available as a licensed option.
Because parameterization is such a useful feature, the document includes examples of its use, but
alternative methods are also provided for those who do not have access to this feature.

A guide to the document

The next sections in this chapter give some background information for first-time users of
software for electrostatic and current-flow field problems, particularly for users whose knowledge
of elementary magnetism is insecure. It is helpful but not essential to read some of this before
proceeding to the next chapter.
Chapter 2 is a practical introduction to ElecNet in the form of a tutorial. It takes the user through
all the steps of modeling a simple electrostatic device, with full explanations of the operations and
the interpretation of the results. This chapter is an essential prerequisite for chapters 3 and 4.
Chapters 3 and 4 contain case studies in which ElecNet is applied to a variety of electrostatic and
current-flow problems. These can be used in two ways: as reference material, and as a series of
graded exercises for developing skills after completion of the tutorial.
Chapter 5 introduces scripting in ElecNet, including the use of Microsoft Excel to control
ElecNet. Scripting is now available in all versions of ElecNet, and chapter 5 indicates some of the
ways of using this feature.
Appendix A contains further information about the electric field equations and the solution
methods used in ElecNet for 2D problems. Novice users do not require most of this material, but
advanced users may find the additional insight helpful. The discussion of boundary conditions is
relevant to all users, and includes the basis of the Kelvin transformation technique for open-
boundary problems.
Appendix B covers energy, force and capacitance calculation. This includes the derivation of
some of the equations used in the case studies, and further information about the methods used in
ElecNet.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 1 3
Introduction

Modeling in 2D and 3D
Some practical problems are essentially three-dimensional – examples include the end-winding
regions of rotating AC machines. Problems of this kind require the full 3D modeling capability of
ElecNet. In many cases, however, a 2D model will give useful results. Two common types of
device geometry allow 3D objects to be modeled in two dimensions: translational geometry and
rotational geometry.

Translational geometry
Translational geometry means that the object has a constant cross-sectional shape generated by
translation – moving the shape in a fixed direction. The diagram below shows an example.

With translational geometry, any slice perpendicular to the axis has the same shape. Inevitably,
this 2D approximation neglects fringing fields in the third dimension, so the model must be used
with caution. The shape is usually drawn in the XY plane, with the z-axis as the axis of
translation.

Rotational geometry
Rotational geometry means that the object has a shape formed by rotation about an axis, like
turning on a lathe. The diagram below shows an object formed in this way from the same basic U
shape used in the diagram above.

Objects with rotational geometry are usually described in cylindrical polar coordinates, with the
z-axis as the axis of rotation. The rotated shape is then defined in an RZ plane, which makes an
angle θ with the 3D X axis. This geometry differs from translational geometry in two important
respects. First, it is a true representation of a real 3D object, so highly accurate solutions are
possible. Secondly, there are different equations to be solved, and different methods required for
calculating quantities such as force and capacitance. For all built-in calculations, ElecNet handles
these differences automatically, so the user does not need to take account of the differences.
In ElecNet, the 2D cross-section of a rotationally symmetric model must be drawn in the XY
plane, with the Y axis as the axis of rotation. The XY coordinates then correspond to the RZ
coordinates of the conventional cylindrical polar coordinate representation.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

4 Introduction to ElecNet

Electric field concepts

ElecNet can be used to model practical devices without knowing anything about the differential
equations of electromagnetism or the numerical methods used to solve them. This section reviews
some basic electric field concepts that are required for making effective use of ElecNet; more
advanced topics are covered in appendix A. The system of units used is the SI or MKSA system.

Electric field strength E

The fundamental concept is the electric field described by the vector E, which is termed the
electric field strength. In two dimensions, this field is commonly represented by lines, known as
field lines, which show both the direction and the magnitude of E. The direction of a line gives
the direction of E, and the spacing of the lines indicates the magnitude; the closer the lines, the
greater the magnitude. The diagram below shows the field plot for a simple air-spaced parallel-
plate capacitor, where an external source maintains a constant potential difference (voltage)
between the plates.

Field plot for a parallel-plate capacitor

Although the electric field is an abstract concept, the effects of E are concrete and physical. The
mechanical force in a device such as this capacitor can be expressed in terms of E. In simplified
terms, the field lines can be treated as elastic bands pulling the plates together with a tensile stress
(force per unit area) given by ½ε0E2. In this expression, E is the magnitude of the vector E, and
ε0 = 8.854 × 10–12 is a fundamental constant. The unit of E is the volt per meter (V/m), and the
unit of ε0 is the farad per meter (F/m).
A direct physical interpretation of E is given by the expression for the electric force on a
stationary electric charge q:
f = qE (1-1)
where f is the force in newtons and q is the charge in coulombs. A consequence of this force is
that high values of electric field strength E can result in electrical breakdown of an insulating
material.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 1 5
Introduction

Electric potential V
If the electric field does not vary with time, the vector E can be expressed as the gradient of a
scalar quantity V, known as the electric potential or voltage. Since scalar quantities are much
easier to handle than vector quantities, it is usual to solve electric field problems by calculating
the potential distribution, and to represent the field by an equipotential plot – contours of constant
V. The diagram below shows the equipotential plot for the same parallel-plate capacitor.

Equipotential plot for a parallel-plate capacitor

The equipotential lines are orthogonal to the field lines of the previous plot. In the middle of the
region between the plates, the field is uniform; this is shown by uniformly spaced parallel lines in
both the field plot and the equipotential plot.
ElecNet can generate equipotential plots automatically, but it cannot generate conventional plots
of field lines in all cases. Instead, ElecNet displays shaded color plots of quantities such as E =
|E|. In most cases, the combination of an equipotential plot and a shaded plot of E is at least as
useful as the conventional field plot. Contour plots of the flux function in ElecNet show lines of
the electric flux density D, which resemble lines of E in many cases.

Electric flux density D

When dielectric (insulating) materials are present, it is necessary to introduce a new electric
quantity: the electric flux density D. This quantity is related to electric charge, which is the
ultimate source of the electric field, through Gauss’s law:

∫ D ⋅ da =
Ñ ∑q (1-2)

where the integral on the left is taken over a closed surface, and the summation on the right is the
sum of the electric charge (measured in coulombs) enclosed by the surface. From equation 1-2, D
has units of coulombs per square meter.
For most dielectric materials, when the field is not varying with time, there is a simple linear
relationship between the electric flux density D and the electric field strength E:
D = ε rε 0E (1-3)
where the dimensionless quantity εr is a property of the material known as the relative
permittivity or the dielectric constant. For empty space, and to a close approximation for air, εr =
1

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

6 Introduction to ElecNet

If the electric field is perpendicular to the boundary between two materials, and there is no
surface charge at the boundary, equation 1-2 shows that the value of D will be the same in the two
materials. If the relative permittivity εr has values ε1 and ε2 in the two materials, equation 1-3
shows that the corresponding values of E are related by:
E1 ε 2
= (1-4)
E2 ε1
Equation 1-4 has important consequences for voids in a dielectric material, where the value of εr
in the material is higher than the value of εr in the void. In this case, the value of E in the void
will be higher than in the surrounding material, and this may result in electrical breakdown in the
void.

Current density J
In a conducting material, an applied electric field E will result in a flow of electric current
represented by the vector J. In most conductors, these are linearly related:
J =σE (1-5)
where J is the current density in amperes per square meter (A/m2), and σ is the conductivity of the
material in siemens per meter (S/m). Equation 1-5 is the field equivalent of Ohm’s law for
conductors.
There is an important difference between current-flow fields represented by J in conductors, and
electrostatic fields represented by E in devices such as capacitors. Most electrostatic fields are
unbounded: they extend beyond the ends of the electrodes, as can be seen in the field plot for the
parallel-plate capacitor. In principle, the field extends to infinity, although the magnitude decays
rapidly with distance. When modeling such devices, it is necessary to impose an artificial
boundary to limit the field to a finite region, and this is a possible source of error in the solution.
This problem does not arise with current-flow fields. When a conductor is embedded in an
insulating material for which the conductivity is effectively zero, the current flow is limited to the
volume of the conductor. This difference between electrostatic and current-flow fields will be
explored in the case studies.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 1 7
Introduction

Using ElecNet effectively

This section contains a few practical pointers to getting the best out of ElecNet. Some of the
suggestions may not make much sense until the user has had some experience of using ElecNet,
at least to the extent of working through the tutorial in chapter 2.

The principle of progressive refinement

The time taken for ElecNet to solve a problem will depend on the complexity of the model and
the desired solution accuracy. For this reason alone it is not advisable to attempt an exceedingly
detailed model of a practical device with every geometric feature faithfully copied. There is also a
practical reason for avoiding complex models initially. The first model is almost certain to
contain mistakes; if it is very detailed it will take a long time to solve, and an even longer time to
rebuild when the solution has revealed the mistakes.
It is generally best to begin with a very simple model that preserves the essential features of the
device. Shapes and dimensions can be simplified. Some parts do not need to be modeled at all.
The case studies in chapters 3 and 4 give some indication of what can be done with simple
models.
For the first solution of a new model, it is desirable to get a field plot as quickly as possible,
because this plot is an effective tool for revealing errors in the structure of the model. At this
stage, there is no need to use the powerful adaption feature of ElecNet to improve the solution
accuracy.
When the new model is producing a sensible field plot, and the numerical results for force, torque
and capacitance are plausible, the solver and automatic mesh adaption options can be used to
improve the accuracy. The case studies give examples of the settings that may be required. For
the advanced user, ElecNet has methods of controlling the mesh structure that can be used as an
alternative or a supplement to automatic mesh adaption: see Appendix A.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

8 Introduction to ElecNet

Getting accurate results

ElecNet uses the finite-element method to solve the field equations. For a 2D model, the entire
region is subdivided into a mesh of triangular elements, and within each element, the true field is
approximated by a polynomial. The accuracy can be improved by increasing the order of the
polynomial: this is one of the solver options. It can be further improved by using smaller elements
in critical regions of the model, which is done automatically when the user sets the adaption
options.
With any numerical method, perfect accuracy is unattainable. Even with full use of the options
for improving the accuracy, the solution generated by ElecNet will contain errors. In most cases,
these errors will be insignificant, and are likely to be smaller than the changes caused by
manufacturing tolerances or variations in the electrical properties of the materials.
Calculated values for force and torque are particularly sensitive to errors in the field solution, so
these values are likely to change significantly as the solution accuracy is improved. If these are
the quantities of interest in the device, then it is sensible to continue refining until the values
appear to have converged. If it is known that some torque values or force components should be
zero, then refinement should continue until they are small in comparison with the useful values.
Similarly, where quantities are expected to be equal in magnitude, the difference should be a
small fraction of the mean magnitude.
With certain types of problem, the automatic method of refining the mesh may not yield an
accurate solution in ElecNet. A typical example is the calculation of force or torque in a device
where the active airgap is very small in comparison with the dimensions of the other parts. Here
the values may not converge towards a limit as the refinement level is increased. Cases like this
require the user to take control of the mesh structure: see Appendix A.

Getting help
ElecNet is a powerful and complex package with many features that are not covered in this
introductory document. Although care has been taken to make the instructions in the document
clear and accurate, there may be occasions when the user is in difficulty. The first point of
assistance is the comprehensive help facility in ElecNet, which gives detailed explanations of the
features and instructions for their use.
Further help is available from the Infolytica web site: http://www.infolytica.com, where there is
extensive tutorial material and a gallery of examples of the application of ElecNet to a variety of
electric field modeling problems.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 9
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Chapter 2

Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Introduction
This chapter takes the user through the complete sequence of using ElecNet to model a simple
electrostatic device: the arrangement of parallel conducting channels shown below. The
objectives are as follows:
• To examine the electric field and potential in the space between the conductors.
• To determine the forces on the conductors
• To determine the capacitance of the system.
• To modify the model by changing the position of the inner conductor.

This is an example of a device that can be represented quite well by a 2D model. The fringing
field above the channels is accurately modeled, and the part of the fringing field that is neglected
in a 2D model has only a minor effect on the calculation of force and capacitance. Fringing is
discussed later, on page 23.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

10 Introduction to ElecNet

Device Model
Brief description
Modeling the system involves the following steps:
• Draw the cross-section of one channel.
• Extend it in a straight line to form a solid body, and specify the material.
• In the same way, construct the second channel.
• Specify the electrodes.
• Define the bounded region of the problem as an air box within which the field will be
calculated.
• Instruct the program to solve the equations and display the results.
These steps are described in detail in the next sections.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 11
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Getting started
The instructions given below assume that you are familiar with Microsoft Windows, that you
have installed ElecNet, and started the application (usually by double-clicking the ElecNet icon).
The ElecNet Main window, shown below, should be visible. This is the default window, which
can be customized by experienced users.

Project bar View area

1 Examine the ElecNet Main window, and identify the parts listed below.
• The Project bar displays information about the model, with tabs at the top labeled
Object, Material, etc. Initially, the Object page is displayed.
• The View area is the work area where the model is constructed and the results
viewed. Initially, the View1 window is displayed.
• Between the Project bar and the View window are vertical toolbars with buttons
for viewing and selecting objects.
• At the top of the Main window, there is the usual menu bar, and a row of
horizontal toolbars.
2 Move the pointer over the buttons on the toolbars, pausing on each for the “tooltip”
message that describes the action of the button.
• Toolbar buttons are duplicated on the menus. For example, the View menu gives
access to the same viewing tools as the buttons on the vertical View toolbar.
• Other toolbars and buttons can be added, by selecting Customize Toolbars from
the Tools menu.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

12 Introduction to ElecNet

Building the model

In ElecNet, the default units of length are meters. It is more convenient to work with dimensions
in millimeters for this tutorial. Proceed as follows to change the default units and grid settings.

Initial settings
1 On the File menu, click Save. Alternatively, click the Save button.
• Browse to a suitable folder for storing the model.
2 Save the model with the name Channels.
The model name in the Object page should change to Channels. The extension will be
.en in the full version of ElecNet, or .ente in the Trial Edition.
3 On the Tools menu, click Set Units to display a dialog:

4 Click the Length drop-down list.

• Select Millimeters.
5 Click OK to close the dialog.
6 On the View menu, click Set Construction Grid to display a dialog:

7 Set the Extent and Spacing values as follows:

• Minimum X: –40 Maximum X: 40
• Minimum Y: –40 Maximum Y: 0
• X spacing: 5 Y spacing: 5
8 Click OK.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 13
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Changing the background color

It may be easier to draw the model if the background color is changed:
1 Right click in the View 1 window, and select Properties to display a dialog:

2 In the Background Style drop-down list, select System Window Solid Color.
3 If this background is preferred, Click Set as Default, and click OK.
Displaying the grid
Display the whole of the construction grid as follows.
1 On the View menu, click Construction Grid.
You should see a grid of a few small points, widely spaced.
2 On the View menu, click Examine Model Dynamically, or click the Examine
Model button.
3 In the View 1 window, roll the mouse scroll wheel downwards to zoom out, until the
whole of the grid is visible.
• If you go too far, roll the scroll wheel upwards to zoom in.
• To restore the original display, double-click in the View 1 window. Alternatively,
on the View menu, click View All.
4 If there is no scroll wheel, proceed as follows to add a Dynamic Zoom button to the
View toolbar:
• On the Tools menu, click Customize Toolbars.
• Select the Commands page of the Customize dialog.
• In the Categories list, click View Toolbar.
• Drag the Dynamic Zoom button to the View toolbar.
• Click OK to close the Customize dialog.
5 Click the Dynamic Zoom button.
6 In the View 1 window, drag the pointer downwards to zoom out, so that more of the
grid is visible, and then release the button.
• Repeat as required until the whole grid is visible. If you go too far, drag upwards
to zoom in.
• To restore the original display, double-click in the View 1 window. Alternatively,
on the View menu, click View All.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

14 Introduction to ElecNet

Drawing the outer channel

The default drawing mode is Snap to Grid, which means that lines, arcs and circles drawn with
the mouse will lock to the grid points. Drawing tools can be activated from buttons on the vertical
toolbar, as shown in the instructions, or selected from the Draw menu. The device cross-section,
with dimensions in millimeters, is shown below.
In ElecNet, all drawing takes place on a 2D construction slice. For 2D models, this is just the XY
plane, but for 3D models, the construction slice can be moved to other planes.
1 Click the Add Line button.
2 Draw the outline of the outer channel as described below, starting at the bottom
left-hand corner (point P in the diagram).
• Move the pointer. Observe the coordinates displayed on the Status bar at the
bottom of the screen.
• Click near the grid point at (–40, –40) for point P.
• Move the pointer near (40, –40) for the other end of the line, and click.
• Move the pointer near (40, 0) for the end of the next line, and click.
• Continue in this way for the rest of the shape.
Do not draw the lines for the inner channel at this stage. See below for the method of
deleting any lines drawn in the wrong place.
5 10 5 5 10 5

25 25
40 40 40

50
70

P 80

3 If any lines have been drawn in the wrong place, correct them as follows.
• If the last line to be drawn was in the wrong place, undo this action with
Ctrl+Z, or click the Undo button. For other lines, proceed as follows.
• Double-click the last point, or press Esc, to stop line drawing.
• Click the Select Construction Slice Lines/Arcs button.
• Click the line that you want to delete.
The selected line should turn red.
• Press the Delete key.
• Click the Add Line button and redraw the line.
4 To terminate line drawing, use a double click to complete the last line, or press
Esc when the drawing is complete.
5 The finished outline of the channel should look like the picture on the next page.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 15
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Completing the outer channel

1 Click the Select Construction Slice Surfaces button.
2 Click anywhere inside the channel.
The interior of the channel should fill with a red pattern.
3 Click the Make Component in a Line button to display a dialog:

4 Change the Name from Component#1 to Outer.

5 Click in the Material box. Start typing Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter
• When you type 3.8e7 the display will change to the name of the required
material.
• Alternatively, scroll down through the list and select the material.
6 Change the Distance to 160.
7 Click OK.
A component named Outer should be shown in the Object page of the Project bar.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

16 Introduction to ElecNet

Making the Inner channel

1 Click the Add Line button, and draw the outline of the other channel.
• Make sure that that there is a 10 mm gap between the two channels.
2 Click the Select Construction Slice Surfaces button, and click inside the
channel.
3 Click the Make Component in a Line button.
The Distance should be shown as 160 mm, and the Material as
Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter.
• Change the Name to Inner.
• Click OK.
4 The Object page of the Project bar should show two components: Outer and Inner (in
that order).
If the name of a component is wrong, you can edit the name in the Object page by
selecting the name and pressing F2, or by making two single clicks.

5 10 5 5 10 5

25 25
40 40 40

P 50
70

80

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 17
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Defining the electrodes

The next step is to specify that the channel surfaces are equipotentials, and to specify the voltage
values. This is accomplished by defining electrodes, which can be surfaces of components or
entire components. In this example, the entire volume of each channel is an equipotential, so there
is no electric field inside the channel. However, if the entire channel is defined as an electrode,
ElecNet excludes the channel from the finite-element mesh, and it will not find the force on the
channel. Since the forces are required, the electrodes will be defined in terms of the channel
surfaces, which are termed faces in ElecNet.
1 In the Object page, click the + box next to Outer.
This expands a branch of the tree directory, displaying the list of faces (surfaces) of
the Outer component.
2 Click Face#1 (Start Face).
3 Hold down the Shift key and click Face#10
This should select all the faces from Face#1 to Face#10, which comprise the surfaces
of the component. The surfaces should be highlighted in the View window.
4 On the Model menu, click Make Electrode.
Electrode#1 should appear in the Object page.
5 In the same way, make the electrode for the inner channel.
Electrode#2 should appear in the Object page.
6 Select the Electrode page of the Project bar, by clicking the Electrode tab.
Electrode details should be displayed.
7 In the list for Electrode#2, click on 0 V rms
• Click a second time, or press F2.
The display should change to an edit box displaying the number 0.
• Change 0 to 10000 and press Enter.
The display should show 10000 V rms
8 Select the Object page of the Project bar, by clicking the Object tab.
This displays the names of the model components again.

Removing selections
After defining the electrodes in this way, part of the model will be selected in the View window.
This can interfere with subsequent displays. The following is a simple way of removing all
selections:
• In the Object page of the Project bar, click the model name.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

18 Introduction to ElecNet

Air box
An outer boundary is added to the model by creating a new component called an air box, which
encloses all the other components. The default boundary condition for the air box is Flux
Tangential (see appendix A), which means that the electric field is constrained to be parallel to
this boundary. This is a reasonable approximation if the boundary is sufficiently far away from
the device. It is usually satisfactory to make the radius of the air box about 10 times the radius of
the rest of the model.
Since the air box is much larger than the channels, it is not convenient to draw it with the mouse.
Instead, coordinates are entered with the keyboard as described below.
If the air box is made in the same way as the other components, it will contain holes
corresponding to the shapes of those components. This is undesirable, because it will cause
problems later when the model is modified. To prevent holes being formed, the construction slice
lines for the other components will be removed, as described in step 3 below.
1 On the View menu, click Construction Grid.
This turns off the construction grid display.
2 On the View menu, click Update Automatically. Alternatively, click the
Automatic View All button.
This keeps all of the components in view in the window.
3 Remove the construction slice lines as follows.
• Click the Select Construction Slice Lines/Arcs button.
• Press Ctrl+A to select all the lines.
All the lines are marked in red.
• Press Delete to delete the lines.
4 On the Tools menu, click Keyboard Input Bar if there is no check mark beside it.
The Keyboard Input bar should be displayed at the bottom of the Main window,
above the Status bar, with a text box for entering coordinates.

5 Click the Add Circle (Center, Radius) button on a horizontal toolbar.

The Status bar at the bottom of the window should show:
Specify the center point and a point on the radius of the circle…
6 Click in the text box of the Keyboard Input bar.
The text box should show the center coordinates as (0, 0).
• If the coordinates are not shown as (0, 0), edit the text.
7 Press Enter, or click the Enter button.
Nothing will change in the View 1 window, so it looks as though nothing has
happened. However, the display next to the Enter button should have changed from
(x, y) to (0, 0) mm, and the coordinate display on the Status bar should show X:0
Y:0 Xg:0 Yg:0 Zg:0.

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 Chapter 2 19
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

8 Change the coordinates in the text box to (400, 0), and then press Enter, or click the
Enter button. The brackets and comma can be omitted.
The display next to the Enter button should show (400, 0) mm, and the coordinate
display on the Status bar should show X:400 Y:0 Xg:400 Yg:0 Zg:0. A circle of
radius 400 mm should be shown in the View 1 window.
9 Click the Select Construction Slice Surfaces button.
10 Click inside the circle.
11 Click the Make Component in a Line button to make the air box.
• Change the Name to AirBox.
• Click in the Material box. Start typing AIR
• Alternatively, scroll down through the list and select the material.
It is essential to use AIR, which has a special function in ElecNet. Do not select
Virtual Air, which is a generic insulator material.
• The Distance should be 160 mm.
• Click OK.
12 On the File menu, click Save, or click the Save button.
It is good practice to save often, in case of computer problems.

Viewing the model

To view the channels in more detail again, zoom in as follows.
1 On the View menu, click Examine Model Dynamically, or click the
Examine Model button.
• Position the pointer outside the channels.
• Hold down the Ctrl key and the left mouse button, and drag a rectangle enclosing
the channels.
• Release the button.
The region contained in the rectangle will expand to fill the View 1 window.
2 If the Ctrl key was not pressed, this operation will have rotated the model instead of
dragging a rectangle. If this has happened, restore the normal view as follows:
• On the View menu, click Preset Views / Positive Z axis, or click the Show XY
(+Z) button.
3 To adjust the size of the displayed view, zoom in or out:
• Roll the mouse scroll wheel upwards or downwards.
• If there is no scroll wheel, click the Dynamic Zoom button; drag the
pointer upwards to zoom in or downwards to zoom out.
• See the instructions on page 13 for adding the Dynamic Zoom button.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

20 Introduction to ElecNet

Solving the model

ElecNet uses the finite-element method of solving the electric field equations. This subdivides a
2D model into small triangular elements, forming a mesh that covers the entire region. The true
field within each element is approximated by a polynomial in terms of the field values at a small
number of points, and ElecNet solves for the unknown field values at these points for all the
elements. For example, a first-order polynomial just gives linear interpolation between the field
values at the vertices of the triangles.
The accuracy will be higher with a fine mesh or a high-order polynomial. By default, a first-order
polynomial is used, which is fast but not very accurate.
Initial solution
1 Right-click in the View 1 window and select Initial 2D mesh. Alternatively, on the
View menu, click Initial 2D Mesh.
This should show the default mesh that ElecNet uses to solve the field equations.
2 On the Solve menu, click Static 2D.
The Solver Progress dialog should appear briefly. When the solution is complete, the
Results window should be displayed instead of the View 1 window. The tab for this
window is labeled Results.
3 Return to the View 1 window by clicking the View 1 tab at the bottom of the View
area.
Viewing the equipotential plot
1 Select the Field page of the Project bar by clicking the Field tab.
The Field page has tabs at the bottom for Contour, Shaded and Arrow. The Contour
page is active by default, with the V field selected.
2 Click the Shaded tab, and in the list of fields click None.
3 Click Update View.
The window should show contours of constant V – an equipotential plot. It should be
similar to the plot below. The plot is not smooth because the solution is not very
accurate at this stage.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 21
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Improving the solution accuracy

To improve the solution accuracy, the polynomial order of the elements can be increased as
follows.
1 On the Solve menu, click Set Solver Options to display a dialog:

The Polynomial Order is shown as Default. For this model, the default is order 1.
• In Polynomial Order, select 2 from the drop-down list.
• Click OK.
2 On the Solve menu, click Static 2D.
When the solver finishes, the equipotential lines should be smoother, as shown below,
indicating a more accurate solution.
3 Save the model again.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

22 Introduction to ElecNet

Refining the mesh

Increasing the polynomial order has made some improvement, but the real problem is that the
mesh is too coarse in parts of the model. ElecNet can refine the mesh automatically – a process
termed adaption.
1 On the Solve menu, click Set Adaption Options to display a dialog:

• Click Use h-adaption.

The h-adaption box should have the value 25.
• In the Tolerance box, type 0.5
At each adaption step, ElecNet will select the worst 25% of elements and generate
new elements with half their dimensions.
2 Click OK.
3 On the Solve menu, click Static 2D.
The Solver Progress dialog shows the adaption steps. The process continues until the
change in the calculated value of stored energy is less than the specified tolerance of
0.5%. The resulting plot should resemble the diagram below.

4 Examine the change in the mesh as follows.

• On the View menu, click Initial 2D Mesh.
This should show the original mesh.
• On the View menu, click Solution Mesh.
This should show the refined mesh.
5 Save the model again.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 23
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Post-processing
After a field solution has been obtained, other quantities can be calculated and displayed. This is
termed post-processing. ElecNet has a Results window that displays numerical values for
quantities such as force and charge; these are termed global quantities. In addition, shaded color
plots and contour plots of fields can be displayed in the Field page of the View window; field
values at any point in the model can then be displayed by moving the mouse pointer.
Each of the available fields can be viewed as a smoothed field. Smoothing applies averaging to
remove the discontinuities that are present in the computed field. A smoothed field is continuous
across mesh element boundaries where the materials are the same. Smoothed fields are not
continuous across element boundaries where the materials differ (true discontinuity exists at these
boundaries).

Getting electric field strength values

1 In the Field page of the Project bar:
• Click the Shaded tab.
• Click |E| smoothed.
• Click Update View.
This should show a color map of the electric field magnitude, superimposed on the
equipotential plot.
2 On a vertical toolbar, click the Field Probe button.
• Move the mouse pointer anywhere in the model region, but do not click.
• The Status bar should show two values at the left-hand side: the voltage, and
|E| Smoothed.
These numbers are the values at the position of the mouse pointer.
• Move the pointer without clicking, and observe the change on the Status bar.
3 Hold the mouse still, with the pointer anywhere in the model region, and click once.
• A window should open at the bottom of the Main window, called the Text Output
bar.
• This displays the coordinates of the point, and values of the voltage and
|E| Smoothed.
• Every click in the model region displays a new set of values.
4 Close the Text Output bar by clicking the Close box on the left-hand side of the bar,
or clicking Text Output Bar on the Tools menu.
Notice two features of the electric field in this device. First, the electric field is not confined to the
region between the channels, but spreads into the surrounding air; this is termed fringing.
Secondly, the electric field magnitude is very high near the convex corners at the bottom of the
inner channel and at the tops of both channels. These corner points are the locations of
singularities where, theoretically, the magnitude of the electric field is infinite.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

24 Introduction to ElecNet

Graphs of electric field strength

ElecNet provides items on the Extensions menu for further processing of the solution results.
These include the versatile Field Extractor, which can extract field values over a grid of points,
and display graphs of values along lines parallel to the X or Y axis.

Field Extractor
It is instructive to display a graph of the electric field strength magnitude along a line just below
the inner channel, with end-point coordinates (–35, –25.5) and (35, –25.5). This will show the
high field values near the corners of the channel.
1 On the Tools menu, click Field Extractor to display a dialog:

2 Click Add twice to add X and Y rows to the Variables box.

3 In each row, enter the Start, End, and Number of sampling points as follows:

For Y, entering only a Start value automatically sets the number of sampling points
to 1.
Since the X coordinate range is 70 mm, setting the iteration value to 141 will sample
the field at increments of 0.5 mm.
4 In the Field Name drop-down list, select |E| smoothed.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 25
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

5 Click Graph.
6 Close the Field Extractor window.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

26 Introduction to ElecNet

Global quantities
Click the Results tab to display the Results window. This has pages for displaying the calculated
values of the quantities energy, force, charge and voltage for the model. Numerical results given
below were obtained with version 7.5 of ElecNet.
The display precision can be adjusted with a control at the top of the Results window; the default
precision is 3. For the results given below, the precision was set to 5.

Energy
By default, the Results window should display the Energy page. If this is not visible, click the
Energy tab. The displayed values should be similar to the following:
Stored Electric Energy 0.00091326 J
See appendix B for a discussion of energy.

Charge and capacitance

In the Results window, click the Charge tab. The displayed value of the charge should be similar
to the following:
Electrode#1 –1.8263e–007 coulombs
Electrode#2 1.8263e–007 coulombs
These values are expected to be equal and opposite; the small difference is an indication of
numerical error in the field solution. The capacitance of the system may be calculated from the
average magnitude of the charge on the electrodes and the voltage between them:
Q 1.8263 × 10−7
C= = = 1.8263 × 10−11 F = 18.263 pF
V 10000
Alternatively, the capacitance may be calculated from the stored electric energy:
2W 2 × 0.00091326
C= = = 1.8265 × 10−11 F = 18.265 pF
V2 (10000)2
See appendix B for details of these methods of calculating capacitance.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 27
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Forces
ElecNet automatically calculates forces on all bodies in the model. A body is defined as a set of
connected components surrounded by the special material AIR. In this case, there are two bodies:
the inner and the outer channel components.

In the Results window, click the Force tab.

The force components and magnitudes, in newtons, should be similar to the following:

Body X Y Z Magnitude
Outer 4.1101e-005 0.041537 0 0.041537
Inner -1.5676e-005 –0.041488 0 0.041488
• Since this is a 2D model, the Z components are zero.
• By symmetry, the X components should also be zero. The non-zero values are an
indication of numerical error in the solution, but they are small in comparison with the Y
values.
• The Y components should be nearly equal and opposite. The small difference in
magnitude is an indication of numerical error in the solution. Theoretically, there is a
small difference between the magnitudes of the force values corresponding to a residual
force on the outer boundary, but this is extremely small.
The signs indicate a downward force on the inner conductor, and an upward force on the outer
conductor. This signifies a force of attraction, as expected from the opposite signs of the charges.
Torque values are also displayed, but they can be disregarded. From the symmetry of the model,
the torque values should be zero; non-zero torque values are further indications of numerical error
in the solution.

Solution accuracy
There are small discrepancies between the force values on the two components, which indicate
errors in the numerical solution. To reduce the errors, the solution can be repeated after making
the following change:
• In the Solver Options dialog, reduce the CG tolerance from 0.01% to 0.001%.
Reducing the CG tolerance will reduce the discrepancy between the magnitudes of the charges on
the two electrodes. It is generally advisable to make this change from the default CG tolerance of
0.01%. A value of 0.001% is used for the rest of this tutorial.
Note that reducing the CG tolerance does not eliminate the discrepancy between the magnitudes
of the force values. The problem here is the singularity in the value of E at each external corner,
which affects the accuracy of the force calculation. To some extent, the problem can be overcome
by reducing the adaption tolerance, but this creates a large number of mesh elements. A better
solution is to surround each channel with a thin layer of Virtual Air – a material that behaves as
air for the field solution, but it is treated as part of the channel for determining the forces; see
Appendix B. However, in the present case, the force discrepancy is small, so the Virtual Air shell
is not required.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

28 Introduction to ElecNet

Modifying the model

Once a model has been constructed, it is a straightforward matter to make changes. Each object in
the model, listed in the Object page of the Project bar, has a set of properties that can be modified.
In addition, every property of the model can be parameterized: it can be given a list of values, and
ElecNet will create a corresponding set of problems. For the parallel channels, it is useful to vary
the relative position in this way. If the full version of ElecNet is licensed for parameterization, the
set of problems will be solved automatically. This feature is disabled in the Trial Edition of
ElecNet.
Moving the inner channel
If the inner channel is displaced from its symmetrical position, there will be a lateral force that
varies with the displacement. To examine this effect, a new user-defined parameter will be used
to move the armature component relative to the rest of the model.
In the Model Properties dialog, there is a Parameters page where the user can create a new named
parameter and give it a range of values. The new parameter can be used to modify other
properties of model components, so that they depend on one parameter. In this case, a user-
defined parameter will be used to vary the X coordinate of a shift vector that determines the
displacement of the inner channel.
Creating a user-defined parameter
1 In the Object page, right-click the model name Channels, and select Properties to
display a dialog:

2 Select the Parameters page and scroll down to the end of the list of parameters:

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 2 29
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

3 In the first vacant Parameter field, type Shift.

The Type drop-down list for this parameter should already be set to Number.
4 In the Expression field, type the following list of values:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
5 Press Enter to accept the list; the dialog should change as shown below.
If the field turns red, there is an error in the field, which must be corrected.

6 Click Apply to change the properties.

This leaves the Properties dialog open.
Parameterizing the model
1 In the Object page, click Inner. The dialog should change:

2 Scroll down the list of parameters to find ShiftVector:

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

30 Introduction to ElecNet

3 In the Expression field, type the following array for the vector, including the square
brackets:
[%Shift%mm, 0, 0]
The name of the user-defined parameter Shift must be preceded by a % symbol. The
suffix %mm converts values from millimeters to the basic units of meters.
4 Press Enter to accept the array.
If the field turns red, there is an error in the field, which must be corrected.
5 Click OK to close the Properties dialog.
6 Select the Problem page of the Project bar.
• Observe that six problems have been created, each with a different shift vector
for the inner channel.
• If ElecNet is licensed for parameterization, all of the problems will be marked for
solution, otherwise only the first problem will be marked.
7 On the Solve menu, click Static 2D.
• If ElecNet is not licensed for parameterization, only the first problem will be
solved automatically. In this case, the others can be solved manually as follows:
• Open the Parameters page of Model Properties, and delete the first item from the
Shift parameter list, so that the list becomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Click Close.
• On the Solve menu, click Static 2D again. This solves for a displacement of
1 mm.
• Repeat this process for displacements of 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm.
• For each of the solutions in turn, inspect the solution as described below.

The instructions below for post-processing are applicable when ElecNet is licensed for
parameterization. With the Trial Edition, only one problem ID will be visible in any of the lists,
and it will not be possible to display animations or graphs of results.

Post-processing – 1
1 Select the Field page of the Project bar.
Notice that the Problem ID number is set to 1.
2 View the contour plot for V and the shaded plot for |E| as before.
3 Click the Problem ID drop-down list on the Field page, and select 2, corresponding to
a displacement of 1 mm.
4 Click Update View to display the plots for problem 2.
5 Use the Field Probe as before to explore the field magnitude values in different parts
of the model.
6 In the Field page, click Animate.
ElecNet generates an image of the plot for each problem ID, and then displays them
in sequence in the View window, with a tab labeled Untitled Animation 1.
7 After viewing the animation, close the window by clicking its Close box.
• This will display a Save Changes dialog. Click No.

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 Chapter 2 31
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Post-processing – 2
1 Display the Results window by clicking the Results tab.
2 In the Results window, click the Force tab.
Force values for problem 1 are displayed.
3 Click the Problem ID drop-down list on the Results window, and select Problem 2.
• Observe the force values for problem 2.
4 Similarly, observe the force values for the other problems.
5 Display a graph of force values as follows.
• For the Inner channel, click in the text box for the X component of force.
The Graph Selection button should be enabled.
• Click the Graph Selection button to display a graph:

Note that the displacement values are not displayed in this graph, because
ElecNet uses this method to show the variation of force with any parameter. The
displacement values corresponding to the problem numbers 1 to 6 are 0, 1, 2, 3,
4 and 5 mm respectively.
6 Close the graph window.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

32 Introduction to ElecNet

Changing the geometry

The field plots have shown that the electric field magnitude is very high in regions close to
convex corners. This effect can be reduced if the corners are rounded, as shown in the diagram
below. The model will be generated by modifying the construction-slice shapes for the original
model and making new components. Proceed as follows.

1 On the file menu, click Save As.

• Save the model as Channels modified
2 On the View menu, select Solid Model.
3 Select the Problem page of the Project bar.
• Click Problem 1.
• Click Update View.
4 Select the Object page of the Project bar, then select both channels as follows:
• Click Outer
• Hold down the Ctrl key.
• Click Inner.
5 On the Draw menu, click Extract Edges
This creates lines on the construction slice corresponding to the edges of the
components.
6 Delete the channels as follows:
• Select both channels in the Object page.
• Press Delete; this should display a dialog:

• Click Yes to All.

The channels and electrodes should be deleted, but the construction slice lines should
be visible.

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 Chapter 2 33
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

7 On the View menu, click Set Construction Grid.

• Set the X Spacing and the Y Spacing to 2.5 mm.
• Click OK.
8 On the View menu, click Construction Grid.
9 Click the Add Arc (Center, Start, End) button.
The Status bar at the bottom of the window should show:
Specify the center point, the start point and the end point…
10 Add a semicircular arc to the top of each flange as follows:
• Click a point 2.5 mm below the centre of the horizontal top line for the center of
the arc.
• Click the right-hand vertical line, 2.5 mm below the top.
• Click the left-hand vertical line, 2.5 mm below the top.
The order is important. If you click the left-hand line before the right-hand line, the
arc will be drawn the wrong way.
11 Add quadrant arcs to the bottom corners of the inner channel as follows:
• Click the inner corner of the channel.
• Click successive points on the outside of the channel that will form the start and
end points of the arc, noting that the arc will be drawn counter-clockwise from
the start point to the end point.
The outline of the channels should resemble the following:

12 Select all the lines and arcs:

• Click the Select Construction Slice Lines/Arcs button.
• Press Ctrl+A.
All nine lines and arcs should be marked in red.
13 On the Draw menu, click Segment Edges
This will divide the lines into segments at the points where they touch the arcs.
14 Select and delete the unwanted line segments next to all of the arcs.
15 Make components for the inner and outer channel as before.
16 Make electrodes for the inner and outer channel surfaces as before, and set the
voltage of the inner channel to 10000 V.
17 Modify the ShiftVector parameter of the Inner component as before.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

34 Introduction to ElecNet

18 On the Solve menu, click Static 2D.

19 View the solution results as before.
The equipotential plot for problem 1 should resemble the following:

With the inner channel in a symmetrical position (problem 1), the maximum value of |E|
smoothed is 1.663 MV/m. This is the maximum value displayed in the color legend of the shaded
plot. The corresponding value for the original model is 2.512 MV/m, so it appears that the
modification has made a small reduction to the maximum field value. In reality, the reduction is
much greater than this. Theoretically, the maximum value of |E| in the original model is infinite at
the external corners. If the mesh size in the original model is reduced, the computed maximum
value of |E| will increase, apparently without limit. However, if the external corners are given a
small radius of 0.5 mm, the value of |E| does not increase. These effects can be tested by
progressively reducing the adaption tolerance; the table below shows results obtained with
ElecNet version 7.5.

Original Modified Corner rad. 0.5 mm

Adaption tolerance, % 0.5 0.05 0.005 0.5 0.05 0.005 0.5 0.05 0.005
Max. |E| smoothed, MV/m 2.387 3.149 6.262 1.647 1.647 1.623 3.563 3.587 3.600

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 Chapter 2 35
Tutorial: Parallel Channels

Postscript
The table below compares the 2D results for the modified channels with the results from a 3D
model, using ElecNet version 7.5.

2D 3D
Stored electric energy 0.0008706 J 0.0009524 J
–7
Charge 1.741×10 C 1.905×10–7 C
Capacitance 17.41 pF 19.05 pF
Force on inner channel 0.03948 N 0.04044 N
For the 3D model, the enclosing air box is a cuboid with dimensions 800 mm × 800 mm × 960
mm; the solution parameters are the same as for the 2D model, except that the h-adaption
percentage is reduced from 25% to 5%.
The 3D solution gives a capacitance value that is 9.4% higher than the 2D result, whereas the
force value is only 2.6% higher. An explanation for this difference is that the capacitance per unit
area depends on E, whereas the force per unit area depends on E2. In the fringing field beyond the
ends of the channels, the value of E will diminish more slowly with distance than does the value
of E2. Consequently, this fringing field, which is ignored in a 2D solution, will have a greater
effect on the capacitance than it has on the force.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 37
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Chapter 3

Case Studies:
Translational Geometry
Introduction
The case studies in this chapter cover a range of modeling problems for devices with translational
geometry. Devices with rotational geometry are discussed in chapter 4. These case studies are
arranged in order of increasing difficulty, progressively introducing further features of ElecNet,
so it is advisable to work through them in sequence. The detailed descriptions of basic ElecNet
operations given in chapter 2 will not be repeated, but any new operations will be fully explained.
For all of the case studies in chapter 3 and chapter 4, the instructions assume that a new model is
being started, as described in the tutorial in chapter 2. To avoid tedious repetition, this instruction
is given in abbreviated form in the case studies.
In all modeling studies, it is necessary to ensure that an accurate solution has been obtained.
There are two principal sources of inaccuracy: approximating an open boundary by a boundary at
a finite distance from the device, and numerical errors in the finite-element solution. Errors
introduced by the open-boundary approximation will be examined in some of the case studies.
Errors in the numerical solution can be minimized by adjusting the solution tolerance values as
described in chapter 2, using the value of the conduction current in place of charge for current-
flow models.
In some models, there is only one electrode, so it is not possible to check the accuracy by
comparing values that should be equal. In these cases, the value of the charge or conduction
current can be monitored and the tolerance values altered until the change in the value is
acceptably small. The tolerance values given in the case studies have been determined in this
way. In cases where ElecNet does not calculate forces automatically from a simple model of the
material parts, results can be obtained by adding layers of the material Virtual Air: see Appendix
B.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

38 Introduction to ElecNet

Coaxial square conductors – 1

The diagram below shows two long coaxial square conductors. The objectives are (a) to examine
the field, and (b) to determine the capacitance of the system per meter length and compare the
value obtained from ElecNet with a known result obtained by analytical solution of the field
equations.

Modeling the device

Since the device is long, a 2D model will be an accurate representation. Unlike the case study, the
electric field is confined to the region between the two conductors, so it is not necessary to add an
artificial outer boundary. Since the conductors are equipotentials in this electrostatic problem,
they do not need to be modeled. All that is required is a square-section tube representing the air
region between the conductors, with the inner and outer surfaces defined as electrodes. The cross
section of the model is shown below.

The inner and outer squares have side lengths of 20 mm and 40 mm respectively.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 39
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Creating the model

1 Start a new model and save it as Coaxial square full.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid.
4 Draw the two squares, with the coordinate origin at the center.
5 Construct a component for the air region:
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
• Material: AIR.
6 Turn off the construction grid.
7 Make the outer electrode:
• In the Object page, click the + sign next to the component name to display the
faces.
• Click the faces in turn, and observe which lines are highlighted in the View
window.
• Identify the four faces that form the outer square.
• Click the first of these faces.
• Hold down the Ctrl key and click the remaining three faces in turn.
All four sides of the outer square should be highlighted in the View window.
• On the Model menu, click Make Electrode.
8 In the same way, make the inner electrode, using the four surfaces that form the inner
square.
9 In the Electrode page, set the voltage of the inner electrode (Electrode#2) to 1 V.

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.002%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

40 Introduction to ElecNet

3 Inspect the contour plots of V and the flux function.

The contour plot of V displays equipotentials, and the contour plot of the flux
function displays field lines, as shown below.

Contour plot of V Contour plot of flux function

4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate the capacitance value as follows
(see appendix B for details):
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the average of the magnitude of the
charge on each electrode, and V is the voltage difference (1 V in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5. For comparison, the analytical value
of the capacitance per meter length [1, 2] is 90.61 pF.
Stored electric energy: 4.5308×10–11 J
Charge on outer electrode: –9.0618×10–11 C
Charge on inner electrode: 9.0613×10–11 C
Capacitance from charge: 90.62 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 90.62 pF

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 41
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Coaxial square conductors – 2

The model used in the previous case study does not exploit the symmetry of the structure.
Consequently, the finite-element mesh is unnecessarily large, with a correspondingly long
solution time. It is advantageous to take advantage of symmetry to model only a portion of the
device.
Modeling the device
It is only necessary to model one eighth of the device, shown below.
B

A
C

O
Surfaces represented by lines B and D are the electrodes; surfaces represented by lines A and C
are planes of symmetry, which can be represented by the default Flux Tangential boundary
condition. Lines A and D are 10 mm long; line B is 20 mm.
Creating the model
1 Start a new model and save it as Coaxial square 8th.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum X and Y values set to zero.
4 Draw the outline of the quarter model, with the coordinate origin (point O in the
diagram above) at the center of the complete square.
5 Construct a component for the air region:
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
• Material: AIR.
6 Turn off the construction grid.
7 Make the outer electrode:
• In the Object page, click the + sign next to the component name to display the
faces.
• Identify and select the face for the outer electrode (corresponding to B).
• On the Model menu, click Make Electrode.
8 In the same way, make the inner electrode, using the face corresponding to D in the
diagram.
9 In the Electrode page, set the voltage of the inner electrode (Electrode#2) to 1 V.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

42 Introduction to ElecNet

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.02%.
For similar accuracy, a larger adaption tolerance is used for this model than for the
full model.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plots of V and the flux function.
The contour plot of V displays equipotentials, and the contour plot of the flux
function displays field lines, as shown below.

Contour plot of V Contour plot of flux function

4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate the capacitance value as follows
(see appendix B for details):
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the average of the magnitude of the
charge on each electrode, and V is the voltage difference (1 V in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.
This value is one eighth of the capacitance of the complete model.
Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5. For comparison, the analytical value
of the capacitance per meter length [1, 2] is 90.61 / 8 = 11.33 pF.
Stored electric energy: 5.6641×10–12 J
Charge on outer electrode: –1.1328×10–11 C
Charge on inner electrode: 1.1328×10–11 C
Capacitance from charge: 11.33 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 11.33 pF
The capacitance of the complete device is 8 × 11.33= 90.64 pF, which is close to the value of
90.62 pF from the full model.

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 Chapter 3 43
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Duality
It is instructive to interchange the electrode and symmetry boundaries in the model. Thus, the
faces represented by lines A and C become the electrodes, and the other faces have the default
Flux Tangential boundary condition. The result is the dual of the original quarter model, where
field lines and equipotentials are interchanged. The diagrams below shows the contour plots for
the dual model. Observe that the contour plot of V gives a better plot of field lines than does the
contour plot of the flux function in the original model; similarly, the contour plot of V in the
original model gives a better plot of equipotentials than does the contour plot of the flux function
in the dual model.

Contour plot of V Contour plot of flux function

This technique gives an alternative method of displaying the field lines in ElecNet for any model
where it is possible to interchange the electrodes and Flux Tangential boundaries. In electrostatic
problems, this generally requires the device to have some form of symmetry so that the model
represents only part of the device.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

44 Introduction to ElecNet

Trimmed resistor
The diagram below shows a resistor made from a flat sheet of resistive material, with electrodes
at the ends. The value of the resistance is adjusted by making a cut in the material. It is required
to determine the resulting value of the resistance, by finding the current that flows when the
voltage difference between the electrodes is 1 V.

Modeling the device

This is another example of a problem that is well represented by a 2D model. It is a current-flow
problem where the field is confined to the region of the resistive material, so it is not necessary to
add an artificial outer boundary. The electrodes at the ends do not need to be modeled; the end
faces of the resistive material just need to be defined as electrodes. Dimensions in mm of the
cross section of the full model are shown below; the depth in the third dimension is 2 mm, and the
material is nichrome with a resistivity of 110×10–8 Ωm. In this case, because of the symmetry of
the device, a half model can be used.
20 20 20

15 15

30 30 O B 30
10 5
15 A

50 25

Full model Half model

The material nichrome does not exist in the standard material database supplied with ElecNet. If
desired, a new material can be defined, based on an existing material such as Aluminum: 3.8e7
Siemens/meter. See the ElecNet Help for the method of doing this. A simpler method, which is
used in this case study, is to use an existing material and scale the result.
Creating the model
1 Start a new model and save it as Trimmed resistor half.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid.
4 Draw the outline of the half model, with the coordinate origin at corner O.

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 Chapter 3 45
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

5 Construct a component for the resistor:

• Sweep distance: 2 mm.
• Material: Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter.
6 Make the left-hand electrode:
• In the Object page, click the + sign next to the component name to display the
faces.
• Identify and select the left-hand face corresponding to line A in the diagram.
• On the Model menu, click Make Electrode.
7 In the same way, make the electrode for the right-hand face corresponding to B.
8 In the Electrode page, set the voltage of the right-hand electrode (Electrode#2) to 0.5
V.
This corresponds to a voltage difference of 1 V between the electrodes of the full
model.

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.0001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.01%.
2 Solve as Current Flow 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plots of V and the flux function.
The contour plot of V displays equipotentials, and the contour plot of the flux
function displays current flow lines, as shown below.

Contour plot of V Contour plot of flux function

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

46 Introduction to ElecNet

4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate the resistance value as follows:
• From the current: R = V / I, where I is the average of the magnitude of the
conduction current at each electrode, and V is the voltage difference (1 V in this
case).
• From the ohmic loss: R = V2 / P, where P is the ohmic loss.
5 Select the Material page of the Object bar.
• Right click on Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter and select Properties.
• In the Properties dialog, click the Electric Conductivity tab.
• Note the value of the conductivity at 20ºC.
The value should be 3.8×107 S/m
• Close the Properties dialog.

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5.
Ohmic loss: 15304 W
Conduction current at outer electrode: –30608 A
Conduction current at inner electrode: 30609 A
Resistance from current: 16.34 µΩ
Resistance from ohmic loss: 16.34 µΩ
The conductivity of aluminum is 3.8×10 S/m, so the resistivity is 2.632×10–8 Ωm. If the material
7

is changed from aluminum to nichrome, the resistance from the half model will be:
ρ nich Ralum 110 × 10−8 × 16.34 × 10−6
=
Rnich = = Ω 682.9 µΩ
ρ alum 2.632 × 10−8

The resistance of the complete device is thus 2 × 682.9 µΩ = 1.366 mΩ.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 47
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Cylinder above a plane – 1

The diagram below shows a long conducting cylinder above a conducting ground plane. The
objectives are (a) to examine the field, and (b) to determine the capacitance of the system per
meter length and compare the value obtained from ElecNet with a known result obtained by
analytical solution of the field equations.

Modeling the device

Since the cylinder is long, a 2D model is a good approximation. The cylinder is 6 mm in diameter,
there is a gap of 2 mm between the cylinder and the plane, and the cylinder is maintained at a
voltage of 1 kV relative to ground. This is an open-boundary problem, where the electric field
extends to infinity. The Kelvin transformation method (Appendix A) is often an effective way of
handling an open boundary, but it cannot be used in this case study because the ground plane is of
infinite extent. It is therefore necessary to impose an artificial boundary with an air box, as was
done in the tutorial of chapter 2. A suitable initial choice for the height of the air box is 10 times
the radius of the cylinder, and the width is set equal to twice the height. However, the choice of
air box size will affect the accuracy of the capacitance calculation, so the effect of increasing the
size will be investigated.
The diagram below shows the cross-section of the complete model, with dimensions in
millimeters. The bottom side D of the rectangle is drawn along the X axis, with its mid-point at
the origin. The cylinder is drawn with its center at (0, 5), vertically above the mid-point of side D.
Sides A, B and C have the default Flux Tangential boundary condition, and side D is assigned the
Ground boundary condition. Since we are not interested in the force on the cylinder, this
component will be defined as an electrode, so the interior of the cylinder is excluded from the
finite-element mesh.
60
B

30 A C 30

D
60

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

48 Introduction to ElecNet

Creating the model

1 Start a new model and save it as Cylinder plane full.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum Y value set to zero, and a
spacing of 1 mm.
4 Draw the circle, and construct a component for the cylinder:
• Material: Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
5 Select and delete the construction slice arcs.
6 Make an electrode from the cylinder component:
• Select the entire component in the Object page, instead of a set of faces.
• Set the voltage to 1000 (1 kV).
7 Draw the rectangle, and construct a component for the air box:
• Material: AIR.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
8 Turn off the construction grid.
9 Identify and select the face of the AirBox component that corresponds to line D in the
diagram.
10 On the Boundary menu, click Ground.
BoundaryCondition#1 (G) should appear in the Object page.
Solving and post-processing
1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.1%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.
4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate the capacitance value as follows
(see appendix B for details):
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the charge on Electrode#1, and V is the
voltage difference (1 kV in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 49
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5. For comparison, the analytical value
of the capacitance per meter length [1] is 50.64 pF.
Stored electric energy: 2. 4639×10–5 J
Charge on Electrode#1: 4.9299×10–8 C
Capacitance from charge: 49.30 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 49.28 pF
Maximum value of |E| smoothed: 610.3 kV/m
Thus, the value of capacitance from the model is 2.6% lower than the analytical value.
Effect of air box size
To explore the effect of the air box size, the dimensions will be doubled and then doubled again.
1 View the solid model.
2 Select and delete the construction slice lines.
3 In the Object page, select the AirBox component.
4 On the Model menu, select Scale Components… to display a dialog:

5 Change the scale factor to 2 and click OK.

6 Solve the model and inspect the results.
7 Repeat steps 3 to 5
8 Reduce the adaption tolerance to 0.05%
9 Solve the model and inspect the results.
The table below shows typical results of this process. For the 120 mm box, the adaption tolerance
was reduced from 0.1% to 0.05%.
Air box height (mm): 30 60 120
Adaption tolerance (%) 0.1 0.1 0.05
–5 –5
Stored electric energy (J): 2.4639×10 2.5150×10 2.5281×10–5
Charge on Electrode#1 (C): 4.9299×10–8 5.0298×10–8 5.0561×10–8
Capacitance from charge (pF): 49.30 50.30 50.56
Capacitance from stored energy (pF): 49.28 50.30 50.56
Maximum value of |E| smoothed (kV/mm): 610.3 609.0 609.4
Capacitance error: 2.6% 0.69% 0.16%
These results show that the rule of making the air box radius 10 times the radius of the device is
insufficient in this case for high accuracy in the determination of the capacitance. A factor of 20
is required for an error of less than 1%.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

50 Introduction to ElecNet

Cylinder above a plane – 2

Because of symmetry, it is only necessary to model half of the system. In complex problems,
particularly 3D, this can save a good deal of computing time. In the present example the solution
is obtained very quickly anyway, but it is instructive to compare the results from a half model.
Modeling the device
The half model of the device is shown below, with dimensions in millimeters. Point O is the
coordinate origin. The radius of the semicircle is 3 mm, and its center is at (0, 5).
30
B

30 A C 30

D
O 30
The default Flux Tangential boundary condition is correct for the surface represented by side A
for the symmetry boundary, so it is only necessary to assign a boundary condition to the surface
represented by side D as before.
Creating the model
1 Start a new model and save it as Cylinder plane half.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum X and Y values set to zero,
and a spacing of 1 mm.
4 Draw the square boundary of the half model, with the coordinate origin at O.
5 Draw the semicircle, and make a component for the half cylinder:
• Material: Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
6 Make an electrode from this component:
• Select the entire component in the Object page, instead of a set of faces.
• Set the voltage to 1000 (1 kV).
7 Delete the construction-slice arc for the half cylinder, but leave the lines for the
square.
8 Make the air box:
• Material: AIR.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
9 Turn off the construction grid.
10 Apply the Ground boundary condition to the face that corresponds to line D in the
diagram.

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 Chapter 3 51
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.05%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.
4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate the capacitance value as follows
(see appendix B for details):
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the charge on Electrode#1, and V is the
voltage difference (1 kV in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5.
Stored electric energy: 1.2321×10–5 J
Charge on Electrode#1: 2.4614×10–8 C
Capacitance from charge: 24.61 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 24.64 pF
Maximum value of |E| smoothed: 609.3 kV/m
As expected, the capacitance values are half of those obtained with the full model, and the
maximum value of |E| is virtually unchanged.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

52 Introduction to ElecNet

Single PCB track

A printed-circuit board (PCB) has a copper sheet on one side and a copper track on the other side,
as shown in the diagram below. The problem is to determine the capacitance per meter length
between the track and the copper sheet.

Modeling the device

The copper track is 2 mm wide, the board is 2 mm thick, and the relative permittivity of the board
material is 5.0. Both the copper sheet and the copper track are very thin, so it is not necessary to
model these parts as solid objects. Instead, the component representing the PCB is divided into three
regions: one region underneath the track, and adjoining regions on each side. The upper surface of
the track region will be specified as an electrode, and the lower surface will have the Ground
boundary condition applied.
This problem has a similar geometry to that of the Cylinder and Plane case study, so the previous
results can be used as a guide. For an accurate value of the capacitance, it is necessary to make the
effective radius of the air box at least 20 times the effective radius of the device, and symmetry can
be exploited by modeling only half of the device.
The diagram below shows the cross-section of the half model, with dimensions in millimeters.
The small rectangle measuring 2 mm × 1 mm represents half of the track region of the PCB, and
the adjacent small rectangle represents the remainder of the PCB. A Ground boundary condition
is assigned to the bottom surfaces of both of these components, and the top surface of the track
region is defined as an electrode. All other outer boundaries have the default Flux Tangential
boundary condition.
20

18 18

2 2
1 19
We require a dielectric material for the components representing the PCB. For this case study, the
specified relative permittivity matches a standard material in the ElecNet library: EP05: Relative
permittivity 5. For most practical problems, it would be necessary to create a new user-defined
material with the required properties.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 53
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Creating the model

1 Start a new model and save it as Single track half.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum X and Y values set to zero,
and a spacing of 1 mm.
4 Draw the square boundary of the half model, with the coordinate origin at the bottom
left-hand corner.
5 Add two lines for the PCB components.
6 Make the two PCB components in a single operation as follows:
• Select the smallest rectangle.
• Hold down the Ctrl key, and select the larger rectangle.
• Click Make Component in a Line.
• In the Make Component dialog, uncheck the box for Union Selected
Construction Slice Surfaces. The Name text box will then be grayed out.
• Select the material as EP05: Relative permittivity 5.
• Type the sweep distance as 1000 mm.
• Click OK.
This should create two objects named Component#1 and Component#2.
7 Delete two lines for the PCB component, leaving the square for the air box.
8 Turn off the construction grid.
9 Make the air box:
• Material: AIR.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
10 Apply the Ground boundary condition to the air box face that corresponds to the
bottom line in the diagram.
11 Make an electrode for the track component:
• Select the face for the upper surface of the small PCB component.
• Make the electrode.
• Set the voltage to 1 V.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

54 Introduction to ElecNet

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.1%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.
4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate the capacitance value as follows
(see appendix B for details):
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the charge on Electrode#1, and V is the
voltage difference (1 V in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.
Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5.
Stored electric energy: 2. 3414×10–11 J
Charge on Electrode#1: 4.6820×10–11 C
Capacitance from charge: 46.82 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 46.83 pF
Maximum value of |E| smoothed: 5.024 kV/m
Since this is a half model, the capacitance between the track and ground is double the value given
above: 93.64 pF from the charge, or 93.66 pF from the stored energy, giving a mean value of
93.65 pF.
Alternative model
A single component can be used for the PCB if an extra face is created for the track region. This
can be done by drawing two lines for the upper surface as shown below. In the Make Component
dialog, the option Remove Unnecessary Vertices on the Boundary must be unchecked. Two faces
will be created for the upper surface, one of which can be used to define an electrode.

Short line

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 55
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Twin PCB tracks

This is an extension of the previous case study. A printed-circuit board (PCB) has a copper sheet
on one side and two copper tracks on the other side, as shown in the diagram below. The problem
is to determine the capacitance per meter length between the tracks, and between each track and
the grounded copper sheet.

Modeling the device

The copper tracks are 2 mm wide, with a 2 mm gap between them, the board is 2 mm thick, and the
relative permittivity of the board material is 5.0. As before, the copper sheet and the copper tracks
are very thin, so it is not necessary to model these parts as solid objects. Instead, the component
representing the PCB is divided into five regions: one region underneath each track, and adjoining
regions on each side. The upper surface of each track region will be specified as an electrode, with
impressed voltages of +1 V and –1 V, and the lower surface will have the Ground boundary
condition applied.
Since the tracks have equal and opposite voltages, the device has odd symmetry, so a half model
could be used with a Ground boundary condition on the symmetry plane. However, a full model is
required if the voltage magnitudes are different. A full model also enables the ElecNet RLC Matrix
Calculator to be used for calculating the capacitance values. The diagram below shows the cross-
section of the full model, with dimensions in millimeters. The outer small squares of side 2 mm
represent the track regions of the PCB; the central small square and the small rectangles represent
the remainder of the PCB. A Ground boundary condition is assigned to the bottom surfaces of all
of these components, and the top surface of each track region is defined as an electrode. All other
outer boundaries have the default Flux Tangential boundary condition.
40
18

18 18

17 2 17
2 2
2 2
As before, a standard material in the ElecNet library: EP05: Relative permittivity 5 is used for the
board material.
An alternative model could be constructed using a single component for the PCB, as in the
previous case study, with extra faces created for the two electrodes.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

56 Introduction to ElecNet

Creating the model

1 Start a new model and save it as Twin track.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum Y value set to zero, and a
spacing of 1 mm.
4 Draw the rectangular boundary of the half model, with the coordinate origin at the at
the mid-point of the bottom line in the diagram.
5 Add five lines for the PCB components.
6 Make the five PCB components in a single operation as follows:
• Select the left-hand rectangle.
• Hold down the Ctrl key, and select the three small squares and the right-hand
rectangle.
• Click Make Component in a Line.
• In the Make Component dialog, uncheck the box for Union Selected
Construction Slice Surfaces. The Name text box will then be grayed out.
• Select the material as EP05: Relative permittivity 5.
• Type the sweep distance as 1000 mm.
• Click OK.
This should create five objects named Component#1 to Component#5.
7 Delete five lines for the PCB component, leaving the rectangle for the air box.
8 Turn off the construction grid.
9 Make the air box:
• Material: AIR.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
10 Apply the Ground boundary condition to the air box face that corresponds to the
bottom line in the diagram.
11 Make an electrode for each PCB component that has a track:
• Select the face for the upper surface.
• Set the voltage to –1 V for one electrode and +1 V for the other.
Solving and post-processing
1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.0001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.1%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 3 57
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Capacitance values
Capacitance values can be obtained with the ElecNet RLC Matrix Calculator as follows:
1 On the Extensions menu, click RLC Matrix Calculator to display the Matrix
Calculator dialog:

2 Set options as follows:

• Solution Type: 2D
• Solution Matrices: Capacitance
The Number of Electrodes should be ignored; they are defined in the model.
3 Click Start Calculation.
• In the Save Now dialog, click Yes.
• When the calculation is complete, capacitance values are displayed in the upper
part of the dialog.
Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5.
Stored electric energy: 1. 0430×10–10 J
Charge on Electrode#1: –1.0428×10–10 C
Charge on Electrode#2: 1.0431×10–10 C
Maximum value of |E| smoothed: 11.70 kV/m
Capacitance 1 to ground: 85.39 pF
Capacitance 2 to ground: 85.40 pF
Capacitance 1 to 2: 9.450 pF
The values for the capacitance to ground are different from the value of 93.59 pF obtained for a
single track in the previous study, because the Matrix Calculator returns the capacitance values in
an equivalent network. See Appendix B for an explanation of how the capacitance values are
defined and calculated. To get the corresponding capacitance for a single track, the capacitance 1
to 2 must be added to the capacitance to ground, giving a value of 94.85 pF.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

58 Introduction to ElecNet

Open boundary problem

Several of the case studies are open boundary problems where a modeling issue is the required
size of the air box for accurate results. With some problems, the open boundary can be modeled
exactly in ElecNet by the Kelvin transformation technique (Appendix A). For this to be possible,
the model must have translational symmetry, and it must be possible to enclose the entire 2D
model in a circle of finite radius. Thus, problems with infinite ground planes cannot be handled in
this way. The parallel channel problem of chapter 2 is an open-boundary problem that can be
handled with the Kelvin transformation. In this case study, the results obtained with an exact open
boundary representation are compared with the results obtained with a large air box.

Modeling the device

At present, the Kelvin transformation method is not available as a standard feature of ElecNet, so
this section describes a manual implementation of the method. Scripting, described in chapter 5,
can be used to automate the procedure.
The open boundary representation has two parts: (a) a circular boundary surrounding the model,
enclosing an air space; (b) a second small circular boundary, enclosing another air space, outside
the first. Corresponding points on the two boundaries are linked so that the field values will be
identical, by applying an even periodic boundary condition.
Creating the basic model
1 Open the model Channels that was created in the tutorial of chapter 2.
2 Check the options for solving; changes from the default settings should be:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.05%.
3 Solve the model as Static 2D, and note the values of stored energy, force and charge
in the Results window.
4 Save the model to store the results, then use File | Save As to save the model as a new
file Channels open.
5 In the Object page, select the AirBox component and delete it by pressing Delete.
6 In the View window, select and delete the air box construction slice circle.

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 Chapter 3 59
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

Adding the open boundary

1 Create a new air box of radius 60 mm, centered at the origin, with a sweep distance
of 160 mm, named AirSpace.
2 In the Object page, select the AirSpace component.
3 On the Model menu, click Transform Components to display a dialog:

• Click Scale Factor and type the value 0.1 in the text box.
• Click Shift Vector and edit the text box: (60, 60, 0).
• Click Apply the Transformation to a Copy of the Selection.
• Click OK.
A new air box should appear in the View 1 window, as shown below, and there
should be a new component in the Object page.

4 In the Object page, change the name of the new component to Exterior.
5 Display the tree directory for the AirSpace component.
• Select Face#3
• Hold down the Ctrl key, and select Face#4.
These faces are the half-cylinders that form the curved surface of the Airspace
component, as can be seen by rotating the view of the model.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

60 Introduction to ElecNet

6 On the Boundary menu, click Even Periodic to display the Periodic Data dialog:

7 Click Set Transformation to display the Set Periodic Transformation dialog:

• Click Scale Factor and type the value 0.1 in the text box.
• Click Shift Vector and edit the text box: (60, 60, 0).
These settings are identical to those in the Transform Components dialog that
was used to create the Exterior component.
• Click OK to close the Set Periodic Transformation dialog.
• Click OK to close the Periodic Data dialog.
A new item BoundaryCondition#1 (EP) should appear in the Object page. The curved
surfaces of the two components will be marked with patterns representing the
boundary condition, which can be seen by rotating the view of the model.

Solving and post-processing

1 Check the options for solving; changes from the default settings should be:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.05%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.

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 Chapter 3 61
Case Studies: Translational Geometry

3 Display the equipotential plot for Problem 1:

Equipotential lines inside the larger circle show the true field for this portion of the
open boundary problem. Those inside the smaller circle are a transformed
representation of the field outside the larger circle.
4 Note the values in the Results window and compare them with the previous values
obtained with a large air box.

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5:
Large air box Open boundary
Stored electric energy (J): 0.00091326 0.00091253
Charge on Electrode#1 (C): –1.8265×10–7 –1.8250×10–7
Charge on Electrode#2 (C): +1.8265×10–7 +1.8251×10–7
Force on Outer channel (N): +0.041531 +0.041476
Force on Inner channel (N): –0.041487 –0.041488
In this example, the differences between the large air box results and the open boundary results
are small, indicating that the size of the large air box has been correctly chosen.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 4 63
Case Studies: Rotational Geometry

Chapter 4

Case Studies:
Rotational Geometry
Introduction
This chapter follows the same pattern as Chapter 3; it covers a variety of modeling problems for
devices with rotational geometry, arranged in order of increasing difficulty.
Constructing a model with rotational geometry is different from the procedures used in chapters 2
and 3. The model is constructed as part of a solid of revolution by rotating shapes about an axis.
This axis must be the Y axis of the normal XY drawing plane. Components are formed by
sweeping in an arc instead of sweeping in a line. The subtended angle of the arc is unimportant
for a 2D model, so the ElecNet default angle of 90º will be used for all of the case studies. This
construction technique is described in detail in the first case study: Disc above a Plane.

Disc above a plane

The diagram below shows a conducting disc above a conducting plane. The objectives are to
examine the electric field distribution, and to determine the capacitance of the system.

The disc has a diameter of 40 mm and a depth of 10 mm, and there is a uniform gap of 10 mm
between the disc and the plane. The plane is grounded and the disc is maintained at a voltage of
10 kV with respect to ground. A cross-sectional view is shown below; the plane is considered to
be of infinite extent.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

64 Introduction to ElecNet

Modeling the device

This is an open-boundary problem, where the electric field extends to infinity. An artificial
boundary must be applied in the form of an air box, since the Kelvin transformation method
(Appendix A) cannot be used with rotational geometry. A suitable initial choice for the radius of the
air box is 5 times the radius of the disc, and the height is set equal to the radius. However, the
choice of air box size will affect the accuracy of the capacitance calculation, so the effect of
increasing the size will be investigated. The diagram below shows the cross-section in the XY plane
that is rotated about the Y axis to form the system, with dimensions in millimeters. The left-hand
side of the square is drawn along the Y axis, with the point P at the origin. Surfaces corresponding
to sides A, B and C have the default Flux Tangential boundary condition, and the surface
corresponding to side D is assigned the Ground boundary condition. Since we are not interested in
the force on the disc, the entire disc component is defined as an electrode; the interior of the disc is
thereby excluded from the finite-element mesh.
100
B

80
A C 100

20
10
10 D
P 100

Creating the model

1 Start a new model and save it as Disc plane.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum X and Y values set to zero.
4 Draw the square boundary of the model, with the coordinate origin at the bottom left-
hand corner (point P in the diagram).
5 Draw the cross-section of the disc component as a rectangle 10 mm × 20 mm as
shown in the diagram and make the component as follows:
• Select the interior of the rectangle.
• Click the Make Component in an Arc button.
• Follow the usual procedure for setting the component name and the
material (Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter).
• Leave the sweep parameters set at their default values:
angle 90º, center (0, 0), axis vector (0, –1).
• Click OK.
6 Delete three lines for the disc component, leaving the square for the air box.
7 Turn off the construction grid.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 4 65
Case Studies: Rotational Geometry

8 Make the air box by selecting the interior of the square and sweeping in an arc, with
the default sweep parameters.
9 Apply the Ground boundary condition to the face of the air box that corresponds to
line D in the diagram.
10 Make an electrode from the disc component:
• Select the entire component in the Object page, instead of a set of faces.
• Set the voltage to 10000 (10 kV).
Solving and post-processing
For models with rotational symmetry, the ElecNet solver uses polynomial order 2 by default.
There will be no need to change the polynomial order from that default value.
The suggested solver settings should give an accurate 2D solution without excessive computing
time. The user is invited to try the effect of different settings.
1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.1%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.
Observe the high value of electric field strength at the edges of the disc,
corresponding to the corners in the 2D representation. Theoretically, the field is
infinite at these edges. To reduce the maximum value of E, it would be necessary to
alter the shape of the electrode – see below.
4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate capacitance values as follows
(see appendix B for details):
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the charge on the electrode, and V is the
voltage relative to ground (10 kV in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5:
Stored electric energy: 0.00016795 J
Charge on Electrode#1: 3.3582×10–8 C
Capacitance from charge: 3.358 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 3.359 pF

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

66 Introduction to ElecNet

Effect of air box size

The table below shows the effect of changing the size of the air box. In each case, the cross
section of the air box in the drawing plane is a square. For the 200 mm and 400 mm boxes, the
adaption tolerance was reduced from 0.1% to 0.05%.
Air box radius and height (mm): 100 200 400
Stored electric energy (J): 0.00016795 0.00017073 0.00017109
–8
Charge on Electrode#1 (C): 3.3582×10 3.4144×10–8 3.4213×10–8
Capacitance from charge (pF): 3.358 3.414 3.421
Capacitance from stored energy (pF): 3.359 3.415 3.422
From these results, the capacitance appears to be converging on a limit as the size of the air box is
increased. Relative to the value for a 400 mm air box, the capacitance values for 200 mm and 100
mm air boxes are lower by 0.2% and 1.8% respectively. These results confirm the general rule
that, for high accuracy, the radius of the air box should be about 10 times the radius of the device.

Effect of electrode shape

The table below shows the effect of rounding the corners of the disc electrode in the same way as
the channel flanges in chapter 2, with a radius of 5 mm; the air box radius is 200 mm.
Electrode corners: square rounded
Stored electric energy (J): 0.00017073 0.00015572
–8
Charge on Electrode#1 (C): 3.4144×10 3.1148×10–8
Capacitance from charge (pF): 3.414 3.115
Capacitance from stored energy (pF): 3.415 3.114
Maximum value of |E| smoothed (kV/mm): >3.87* 1.65
* The value depends on the size of mesh elements, and is theoretically infinite.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 4 67
Case Studies: Rotational Geometry

Two spheres
The diagram below shows two conducting spheres as used for high voltage measurement. The
objectives are to examine the electric field distribution, to determine the capacitance of the
system, and compare the results with values obtained by analytical solution of the field equations.

Each sphere has a diameter of 62.5 mm, the gap between the spheres is 60 mm, and the voltage
between the spheres is 185 kV.

Modeling the device

Since the configuration has a plane of symmetry, it is only necessary to model one sphere, at a
voltage of 185/2 = 92.5 kV with respect to a ground plane; the other sphere, which is not modeled,
would be at a voltage of –92.5 kV. This is an open-boundary problem, so an artificial boundary will
be applied in the form of a hemispherical air box, with a radius of about 10 times the radius of the
sphere. However, the choice of air box size will affect the accuracy of the capacitance calculation,
so the effect of increasing the size will be investigated. The diagram below shows the cross-section
in the XY plane that is rotated about the Y axis to form the system, with dimensions in millimeters.
The left-hand side is drawn along the Y axis, with the point P at the origin. The surface
corresponding to arc A has the default Flux Tangential boundary condition, and the surface
corresponding to B is assigned the Ground boundary condition. Since we are not interested in the
force on the sphere, the entire component is defined as an electrode; the interior of the sphere is
thereby excluded from the finite-element mesh.

A
207.5

62.5

30 B
P 300

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

68 Introduction to ElecNet

Creating the model

1 Start a new model and save it as Two spheres.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Set and display the construction grid, with the minimum X and Y values set to zero.
4 Let the coordinate origin be the point representing the center of the gap between the
spheres, which is the point P in the diagram above.
5 Draw the boundary of the model as a quadrant of radius 300 mm as shown in the
diagram.
6 Using the keyboard input bar, draw the cross-section of the sphere as an arc with its
center at (0, 61.25) and end-points at (0, 30) and (0, 92.5).
7 Make the sphere component, using the material Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter.
8 Delete the construction-slice arc for the sphere.
9 Turn off the construction grid.
10 Make the air box from the quadrant outer boundary.
11 Apply the Ground boundary condition to the face that corresponds to line B in the
diagram.
12 Make an electrode from the sphere component, and set the voltage to 92500 V
(92.5 kV)

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.0001%,
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.1%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.
4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate capacitance values as follows
for the half model:
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the charge on the electrode, and V is the
voltage relative to ground (92.5 kV in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy in the
half model.

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 Chapter 4 69
Case Studies: Rotational Geometry

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5:
Stored electric energy: 0.019665 J
Charge on Electrode#1: 4.2517×10–7 C
Capacitance from charge: 4.596 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 4.597 pF
Maximum value of |E| smoothed: 5.351 kV/mm
The capacitance for the full model is half of the value for the half model: 2.298 pF. The analytical
values [3] are: capacitance = 2.349 pF, maximum |E| = 5.352 kV/mm.

Effect of air box size

The table below shows the effect of changing the size of the air box. In each case, the cross
section of the air box in the drawing plane is a quadrant. For the 600 mm and 1200 mm boxes, the
adaption tolerance was reduced from 0.1% to 0.02%.
Air box radius (mm): 300 600 1200
Stored electric energy (J): 0.019665 0.020041 0.020090
–7
Charge on Electrode#1 (C): 4.2517×10 4.3332×10 4.3436×10–7
–7

Capacitance from charge (pF): 4.596 4.685 4.696

Capacitance from stored energy (pF): 4.597 4.685 4.696
Maximum value of |E| smoothed (kV/mm): 5.351 5.367 5.368
From these results, the capacitance appears to be converging on a limit as the size of the air box is
increased. Relative to the analytical value, the capacitance values for 300 mm, 600 mm and 1200
mm air boxes are lower by 2.1%, 0.3% and 0.04% respectively. The corresponding errors for the
maximum |E| values are 0.6%, 0.4% and 0.7% respectively. It appears that an air box radius of
600 mm gives acceptably low error values for this problem.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 5 71
Scripting

Chapter 5

Scripting
Introduction
Up to this point, ElecNet has been used interactively, with the mouse and the keyboard, to build
models and analyze the results. ElecNet can also be controlled by scripts and scripting forms.
Scripts are text files containing commands that control ElecNet. A script can be recorded during
an ElecNet session. When this script is run, all the operations that were carried out during the
recording session will be repeated automatically. Scripts created in this way can be edited to
change the operations, and scripts that are more powerful can be created with the VBScript
programming language.
Recording a script is often an effective way of finding out how to use the ElecNet scripting
commands, in preparation for writing special-purpose user scripts.
Scripting forms take scripting a stage further by providing a graphical user interface for the user
to interact with the script. A form can have text boxes for entering values, buttons for starting
actions, and areas for displaying results. Scripting forms are not covered in this document, but
sources of information are given below.
The most advanced kind of scripting uses another application to communicate with ElecNet
through the Microsoft ActiveX Automation Interface. Microsoft Excel, for example, can be used
in this way. A script in the form of an Excel macro can command ElecNet to build and solve a
model, using data entered on the spreadsheet, and then get results back from ElecNet to display
on the spreadsheet. An example of this form of scripting is given in the section “Automation with
Excel” on page 77.

Further information
The ElecNet Help gives full particulars of the ElecNet scripting commands. Guidance on writing
scripts is available from the Support area of the Infolytica website, www.infolytica.com.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

72 Introduction to ElecNet

Example model
To illustrate the principles of scripting, a simple model will be used. The diagram below shows
two parallel plates, maintained at different voltages. The plates are deep enough for a 2D model
to be used.

The cross section of the system is shown below, with dimensions in millimeters.
2 12 2

20 P 20

This is an open boundary problem, which could be handled by the open boundary technique
described in the case study on page 58. However, for simplicity, a simple circular boundary will
be used.
Creating the model
1 Save the file as Parallel plates.
2 Set the model length units to millimeters.
3 Display the construction grid.
The default grid extent and spacing are satisfactory.
4 Let the coordinate origin be the point P mid-way between the plates, so that the plates
are disposed symmetrically about the origin.
5 Construct a component for each plate:
• Material: Aluminum: 3.8e7 Siemens/meter.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.
6 Delete the construction slice lines.
7 Create a circular air box with a radius of 400 mm.
• Material: AIR.
• Sweep distance: 1000 mm.

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 Chapter 5 73
Scripting

8 Make electrodes for the plate components:

• Select all the faces for the component.
• Set the voltage to 6 kV for the left plate and 0 V for the right plate.

Solving and post-processing

1 Set the options for solving, with the following changes from the default settings:
• Solver Options:
CG tolerance 0.001%,
Polynomial order 2.
• Adaption Options:
Use h-adaption,
Tolerance 0.05%.
2 Solve as Static 2D.
3 Inspect the contour plot of V and the shaded plot of the smoothed |E| values.
4 Inspect the computed global quantities, and calculate capacitance values as follows:
• From the charge: C = Q / V, where Q is the charge on the electrode, and V is the
voltage between the plates (6 kV in this case).
• From the stored energy: C = 2W / V2, where W is the stored electric energy.

Sample results
The results below were obtained with ElecNet version 7.5.
Stored electric energy: 0.00049236 J
X component of force on left plate: 0.02659 N
X component of force on right plate: –0.02663 N
Charge on left plate: 1.6411×10–7 C
Charge on right plate: –1.6413×10–7 C
Capacitance from charge: 27.35 pF
Capacitance from stored energy: 27.35 pF

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

74 Introduction to ElecNet

Script for the model

Creating a User Script Log file
Recording a script is similar to recording a macro in applications such a Word or Excel. After a
User Script Log file has been opened, commands representing the operations carried out with the
mouse and the keyboard will be recorded in the file. This continues until User Script recording is
paused or stopped. The following steps will create a script file for building and solving the model.
1 Save the Parallel plates model.
2 On the File menu, click New.
3 On the Scripting menu, click Start Recording User Script.
A Save As dialog box is displayed.
4 Enter the file name as Parallel plates.vbs and click Save.
5 Construct the model again, using the same procedure as before, but omitting the
initial step of saving the model.
6 Set the solver and adaption options as before, and solve the model.
7 When the solution is complete, on the Tools menu, click Scripting and select Stop
User Script.
• In the dialog box for editing the user script file, click NO.

Running the script

1 On the File menu, click New.
• Do not save the current model.
2 On the Scripting menu, click Run Script.
An Open dialog box is displayed.
3 Select the file Parallel plates.vbs and click Open.
The model should be re-created and solved. Check that everything is the same as
before.
An alternative way of running this script is to select it from the bottom of the list in
the File menu.

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 Chapter 5 75
Scripting

Editing the script

The recorded script should have re-created the original model without any changes. It can be
edited to change the model, for example to change the size of the plates. Try the following.
1 In Windows, open the Notepad text editor.
2 On the Notepad File menu, click Open.
An Open dialog box is displayed.
3 In the File Name box, change the entry from *.txt to *.vbs and press Enter.
This enables script files to be displayed in the dialog box.
4 Navigate to the folder containing the script file Parallel plates.vbs, and open the file.
This is the folder used for saving the ElecNet model.
5 Save the file as Parallel plates modified.vbs.
6 Examine the file contents. There should be some commands similar to the following:
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-6, 10, -8, 10)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-8, 10, -8, -10)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-8, -10, -6, -10)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-6, -10, -6, 10)
…
…
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(6, 10, 8, 10)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(8, 10, 8, -10)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(8, -10, 6, -10)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(6, -10, 6, 10)
These commands draw lines to form rectangles 2 mm × 20 mm. The order may be
different, depending on the way the lines were drawn when the script was recorded.
7 Edit the lines so that all the Y coordinate values are doubled in value:
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-6, 20, -8, 20)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-8, 20, -8, -20)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-8, -20, -6, -20)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(-6, -20, -6, 20)
…
…
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(6, 20, 8, 20)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(8, 20, 8, -20)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(8, -20, 6, -20)
Call getDocument().getView().newLine(6, -20, 6, 20)
8 On the File menu, click Save.
9 Return to ElecNet.
10 Start a new model.
11 Run this modified script. It should construct a different model.
12 Check the results.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

76 Introduction to ElecNet

Creating a new script

Some operations are possible with scripts, but are not possible when using ElecNet interactively.
For example, the Field Probe only works with the mouse – it is not possible to enter the
coordinates with the keyboard. The script listed below will wait for the user to enter X and Y
coordinate values, and then display the electric field magnitude at the point. It does this
repeatedly until the user clicks the No button.

Line Script
1 'Script to get values of |E| at points in a 2D field
2
3 Set Mesh = getDocument.getSolution.getMesh(1)
4 Set Field = getDocument.getSolution.getSystemField _
5 (Mesh,"|E| smoothed")
6 ReDim Value(0)
7 Do
8 X = InputBox("Enter the X co-ordinate:",,0)
9 Y = InputBox("Enter the Y co-ordinate:",,0)
10 Call Field.getFieldAtPoint (X, Y, 0, Value)
11 Response = MsgBox("The value of |E| is " & Value(0) & Chr(10) _
12 & "Enter another point?", VbYesNo)
13 Loop Until (Response = VbNo)

A brief explanation of the script is given below.

Line Comment
1 Any line starting with a single quote character (') is a comment, which is ignored when the
script runs.
2 Blank lines are ignored when the script runs.
3 This gets the solution mesh and creates an object handle Mesh, required in line 5.
4 This gets the required field and creates an object handle Field, required in line 10. An
underscore preceded by a space character means the statement continues on the next line.
5 This is the continuation of line 4.
6 An array with one element is created, for use in lines 10 and 11.
7 This is the start of a repeat loop that ends at line 13.
8 The VBScript InputBox function is used to get the X co-ordinate value entered by the user.
9 The VBScript InputBox function is used to get the Y co-ordinate value entered by the user.
10 The required field value is returned in the first element of the array Value.
11 The VBScript MsgBox is used to display the result and get a yes/no response from the user.
Strings are enclosed between double quote (") characters.
The & operator joins strings and converts numbers to strings.
Chr(10) is a special character, used to start a new line in the message box.
12 This is the continuation of line 11. Returned values are VbYes or VbNo.
13 This is the end of the repeat loop that started at line 7.

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 Chapter 5 77
Scripting

Creating and using the script

1 Use Notepad to create the script, and enter the lines exactly as listed on the previous
page except that the line numbers must be omitted.
2 Check each line very carefully. There must be no mistakes, or the script will probably
fail.
3 Save the script in a file named GetFieldValues.vbs.
4 In ElecNet, open a file for any existing model.
5 Run the GetFieldValues script.
6 If the script fails with an error message, note the line number listed in the message
box, and edit the script file with Notepad to correct the error.
7 When the script is working, display a shaded plot of |E| smoothed. Confirm that the
values are similar to those obtained with the Probe Field Values tool.
8 To get values of another field, change the quantity specified in line 5 to one of the
fields listed in the Field page, for example "E y smoothed".

Automation with Excel

This section shows how Microsoft Excel can communicate with ElecNet via the ActiveX
Automation Interface to set up and analyze the model of two parallel plates. It includes an
implementation of the Kelvin transformation for an open boundary. The picture below shows part
of the Excel worksheet.

The core of the Excel implementation is a set of macros or subroutines, written in Visual Basic
for Applications (VBA), which are similar in principle to the scripts discussed above. There are
four buttons on the worksheet, each linked to a macro, which do the following:
• Start ElecNet: start the ElecNet application and set the length units.
• Close ElecNet: close the model file, close the application and release resources.
• ElecNet Visibility: make ElecNet visible or invisible.
• Run Model: get data values from cells D5 to D11, send commands to ElecNet to build
and solve the model, get the X components of force on the plates and the charge values
from ElecNet, and display the results in cells D13 to D17.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

78 Introduction to ElecNet

The macro activated by the Run Model button is the core of the implementation. For clarity, this
macro calls other subroutines that carry out specific tasks such as creating one plate.
The sections below describe how to set up the Excel worksheet and create the subroutines. This is
an advanced topic, which assumes some familiarity with Microsoft Excel and the Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) macro language used in Excel.
Registered users can download a copy of the complete Excel workbook, containing the worksheet
and the macro module, by clicking here.
The instructions below relate to Microsoft Office Excel 2013. Other versions of Excel may
behave differently.

Excel worksheet – 1
1 Start Excel.
2 If the Developer tab in the Ribbon is not visible, do the following:
• Click the Office button, and select Excel Options.
• On the Popular page, click Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon.
• Click OK.
3 Start a new Excel workbook.
4 Save the file as Parallel plates.xlsm
This is an Excel macro enabled workbook.
5 Enter the text and numerical values exactly as shown on the previous page, except for
cells D13 to D17, which should be left blank.
6 Set the numerical format of cells as follows:
• D5 to D10: one decimal place.
• D13 and D14: six decimal places.
• D15 and D16: five decimal places.
• D17: two decimal places.
• All other cells can use the default formatting.

Visual Basic module – 1

Before creating buttons on the worksheet, it is helpful to create some of the Visual Basic
subroutines they will use.
1 On the Developer tab, click the Visual Basic button.
This should display the Visual Basic Editor in a new blank window.
2 On the Insert menu, click Module
This should open a new Code window named Module1, with an insertion point for
text entry.
3 Type the text listed on the next page, taking care to copy it accurately. See the section
“Comments on the Code” for an explanation of the content.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 5 79
Scripting
' Parallel plates with ElecNet.

Option Explicit

Dim Elec As Object, Doc As Object, Con As Object

Dim Cur As Object, Sol As Object
Dim Lx As Double, Ly As Double, Lz As Double
Dim Lg As Double, Vd As Double
Dim Visible As Boolean, Running As Boolean
Dim Material

Public Sub StartElecNet()

' Subroutine called by the Start ElecNet button.
' Start ElecNet and set variables.
If Running Then
Call MsgBox("ElecNet is already running.", vbOKOnly)
Else
Set Elec = CreateObject("Elecnet.Application")
Visible = True
Elec.Visible = Visible
Set Doc = Elec.newDocument
Set Con = Elec.GetConstants
Set View = Doc.getView
Running = True
End If
End Sub

Public Sub CloseElecNet()

' Subroutine called by the Close ElecNet button.
' Close ElecNet and reset variables.
If Not Running Then
Call MsgBox("ElecNet is not running.", vbOKOnly)
Else
Call Doc.Close(Con.infoFalse)
Call Elec.Exit
Set Elec = Nothing
Running = False
End If
End Sub

Public Sub Visibility()

' Subroutine called by the ElecNet Visibility button.
' Toggle the ElecNet visibility flag.
If Not Running Then
Call MsgBox("ElecNet is not running.", vbOKOnly)
Else
If Visible Then
Visible = (MsgBox("ElecNet is visible. Change to invisible?", _
vbYesNo) = vbNo)
If Not Visible Then
Elec.Visible = False
End If
Else
Visible = (MsgBox("ElecNet is invisible. Change to visible?", _
vbYesNo) = vbYes)
If Visible Then
Elec.Visible = True
End If
End If
End If
End Sub

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

80 Introduction to ElecNet

Excel worksheet – 2
1 Return to the Excel window by clicking the Excel icon on the Windows task bar.
2 On the Developer tab, click Insert and select the Button from Form Controls.
This is the small rectangle in the top left-hand corner of the group of controls.
3 Click on worksheet cell E1 to insert a button.
A dialog box should appear:

4 In the Macro Name drop-down list, select StartElecNet.

5 Click OK.
6 Click inside the new button, and change the text to Start ElecNet.
7 Hold down the Alt key, and adjust the size and position of the button by dragging the
border.
The button will snap to the worksheet cells.
8 Click outside the button, so that the button is no longer marked with a border.
• After this, avoid clicking the button. Two more buttons are required before
testing can begin.
9 Save the file.
10 In a similar way, insert two more buttons:
• A button named Close ElecNet, linked to the CloseElecNet subroutine.
• A button named ElecNet Visibility, linked to the Visibility subroutine.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Chapter 5 81
Scripting

Testing – 1
1 Click Start ElecNet.
• If the macro is working correctly, the ElecNet window should open.
• If the macro contains fatal errors, there will be a Visual Basic dialog similar to
the following.

• In this case, click Debug.

This should take you to the line in the Visual Basic code where the error
occurred.
• Correct the error, and press F5 to continue.
• Continue in this way until the macro appears to be working.
2 Click ElecNet Visibility
• If there are errors, correct them as before.
• Click Yes to make ElecNet invisible.
The ElecNet window and task-bar icon should disappear.
3 Click ElecNet Visibility again.
• Click Yes to make ElecNet visible.
The ElecNet window and task-bar icon should reappear.
4 Click Close ElecNet.
• The ElecNet application should close.
• If there are errors, correct them as before.
5 Check that all three buttons work correctly.
• A message box should be displayed if you try to start ElecNet again when it is
already running, or use the other two buttons when ElecNet is not running.
6 Ensure that ElecNet is closed before continuing with the development.
• If you start a second instance of ElecNet, it may not work correctly.
• If this happens, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and use the Windows Task Manager to
close all instances of ElecNet.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

82 Introduction to ElecNet

Completion
1 Return to the Visual Basic editor.
2 Type in the remainder of the code listed below.
Public Sub RunModel()
' Subroutine called by the Run Model button.
' Build and solve the model.
Dim Q1 As Double, Q2 As Double
Dim Fx, Fy, Fz
If Not Running Then
Call MsgBox("ElecNet is not running.", vbOKOnly)
Else
' Build the parallel plate model
NewModel
GetData
Call MakePlate(Lx, Ly, Lz, (Lx + Lg) / 2, 0, "Plate#1")
Call MakePlate(Lx, Ly, Lz, -(Lx + Lg) / 2, 0, "Plate#2")
MakeElectrodes
OpenBoundary
' Solve the model and get results from ElecNet.
Call Doc.solveStatic2D
With Sheets("Sheet1")
Call Sol.getForceOnBody(1, 1, Fx, Fy, Fz)
.Cells(13, 4).Value = Fx
Call Sol.getForceOnBody(1, 2, Fx, Fy, Fz)
.Cells(14, 4).Value = Fx
Q1 = Sol.getChargeOnElectrode(1, 1)
.Cells(15, 4).Value = Q1 * 1000000#
Q2 = Sol.getChargeOnElectrode(1, 2)
.Cells(16, 4).Value = Q2 * 1000000#
.Cells(17, 4).Value = (Q1 - Q2) / (2 * Vd) * 1000000000000#
End With
End If
End Sub

Private Sub NewModel()

' Close the current model and start a new model.
Call Doc.Close(Con.infoFalse)
Set Doc = Elec.newDocument
Set Con = Elec.GetConstants
Set View = Doc.getView
Set Sol = Doc.getSolution
Call Doc.setDefaultLengthUnit("Millimeters")
Call Doc.setScaledToFit(True)
Call Doc.setPolynomialOrder("", 2)
Call Doc.setCGTolerance(0.00001)
Call Doc.useHAdaption(True)
Call Doc.setHAdaptionRefinement(0.25)
Call Doc.setAdaptionTolerance(0.0005)
End Sub

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 Chapter 5 83
Scripting
Private Sub GetData()
' Get data values from column D on Sheet1.
With Sheets("Sheet1")
Lx = .Cells(5, 4) ' Plate x dimension
Ly = .Cells(6, 4) ' Plate y dimension
Lz = .Cells(7, 4) ' Plate z dimension
Lg = .Cells(8, 4) ' Gap between plates
Vd = .Cells(10, 4) ' Voltage difference.
Material = .Cells(11, 4) ' Material name
End With
End Sub

Private Sub MakePlate(Dx As Double, Dy As Double, Dz As Double, _

Ox As Double, Oy As Double, Name As String)
' Make a plate, dimensions Dx by Dy by Dz, center at (Ox, Oy).
' Name is the component name.
Dim I As Integer
Dim X(4) As Double, Y(4) As Double
X(1) = Ox - Dx / 2
Y(1) = Oy - Dy / 2
X(2) = X(1) + Dx
Y(2) = Y(1)
X(3) = X(2)
Y(3) = Y(2) + Dy
X(4) = X(1)
Y(4) = Y(3)
For I = 1 To 3
Call View.newLine(X(I), Y(I), X(I + 1), Y(I + 1))
Next I
Call View.newLine(X(4), Y(4), X(1), Y(1))
ReDim ArrayOfValues(0)
ArrayOfValues(0) = Con.infoSliceSurface
Call View.selectAt(Ox, Oy, Con.infoSetSelection, ArrayOfValues)
ArrayOfValues(0) = Name
Call View.makeComponentInALine(Dz, ArrayOfValues, "Name=" + Material)
End Sub

Private Sub MakeElectrodes()

' Make electrodes from plate surfaces.
Dim I As Integer
Dim ArrayOfValues(5)
For I = 0 To 5
ArrayOfValues(I) = "Plate#1,Face#" & (I + 1)
Next I
Call Doc.makeElectrode(ArrayOfValues)
For I = 0 To 5
ArrayOfValues(I) = "Plate#2,Face#" & (I + 1)
Next I
Call Doc.makeElectrode(ArrayOfValues)
Call Doc.setElectrodeVoltage("Electrode#1", Vd, 0)
End Sub

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

84 Introduction to ElecNet

Private Sub OpenBoundary()

' Make the air space and exterior regions.
' Apply boundary conditions for the Kelvin transformation.
Const Krad = 1.5, Kmag = 0.1
' Krad: radius factor for air space
' Kmag: scale factor for exterior
' Ndiv: number of edge subdivisions
Dim Rb As Double, Subdiv As String
Dim ArrayOfValues(0), ShiftVec(2), Center(2)
' Delete construction slice lines.
ArrayOfValues(0) = Con.infoSliceLine
Call View.SelectAll(Con.infoSetSelection, ArrayOfValues)
Call View.deleteSelection
' Calculate radius of interior air region and build the component.
Rb = Krad * Sqr((Lx + Lg) ^ 2 + Ly ^ 2)
Call View.newCircle(0, 0, Rb)
ArrayOfValues(0) = Con.infoSliceSurface
Call View.selectAt(0, 0, Con.infoSetSelection, ArrayOfValues)
ArrayOfValues(0) = "Air space"
Call View.makeComponentInALine(Lz, ArrayOfValues, "Name=AIR")
' Build the exterior component.
Call View.newCircle(Rb, Rb, Kmag * Rb)
ArrayOfValues(0) = Con.infoSliceSurface
Call View.selectAt(Rb, Rb, Con.infoSetSelection, ArrayOfValues)
ArrayOfValues(0) = "Exterior"
Call View.makeComponentInALine(Kmag * Lz, ArrayOfValues, "Name=AIR")
' Apply boundary conditions to each half of the air component.
ArrayOfValues(0) = "Air space,Face#3"
Call Doc.createBoundaryCondition(ArrayOfValues, "BC1")
ShiftVec(0) = Rb
ShiftVec(1) = Rb
ShiftVec(2) = 0
Center(0) = 0
Center(1) = 0
Center(2) = 0
Call Doc.setEvenPeriodic("BC1", Kmag, Null, Null, Null, ShiftVec, Center)
ArrayOfValues(0) = "Air space,Face#4"
Call Doc.createBoundaryCondition(ArrayOfValues, "BC2")
Call Doc.setEvenPeriodic("BC2", Kmag, Null, Null, Null, ShiftVec, Center)
End Sub

3 Return to Excel.
4 Insert a new button named Run Model, linked to the Visual Basic subroutine
RunModel.
5 Test this button.
• If necessary, correct errors as before.
6 If it is difficult to find the errors, proceed as follows.
7 Place the insertion point anywhere in the RunModel() subroutine.

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 Chapter 5 85
Scripting

8 Begin single-step debugging as follows.

• Press F8.
The subroutine header line is marked in yellow.
• Press F8 three times.
The line NewModel is marked in yellow.
• Press F8 again.
The subroutine NewModel is entered.
9 Continue in this way to step through successive lines of the subroutine.
• If you get an error dialog, click Debug to continue.
• To help locate the error, inspect variable values by pausing the pointer over each
variable name.
• Correct the error and press F8 to continue.
10 If Visual Basic has to be reset, it is important to close ElecNet before continuing.
• If you start a second instance of ElecNet, it may not work correctly.
• If this happens, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and use the Windows Task Manager to
close all instances of ElecNet.
11 When all the errors have been corrected, single-stepping will reach the end of the
RunModel() subroutine, and the result will be the same as if the Run Model button
had been clicked on the Excel worksheet.
12 Check that the force values are similar to those displayed in the view of the Excel
worksheet on page 81. The values will be slightly different, because the model uses a
Kelvin open boundary.
• If there are significant differences, single-step through the macro again.
• Carefully check the numerical values of variables in the macro, and the details of
the ElecNet model, to find the error.
Using the worksheet
Try changing the dimensions of the plates and the gap between the plates.
Comments on the code
The commands differ in some respects from those found in a User Script Log file and listed in the
ElecNet help. In particular, a named constant such as infoSetSelection has to be given in the
form Elec.GetConstants.infoSetSelection. In the macro, this is simplified to
Con.infoSetSelection by the object variable assignment
Set Con = Elec.GetConstants.

Subroutine StartElecNet
This subroutine starts the ElecNet program, and assigns values to some object variables for
convenience in the rest of the module. The value of the global variable Running indicates
whether ElecNet is already running. It has the value False initially, but is set to True when
ElecNet is started, and reset to False when ElecNet is closed.

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86 Introduction to ElecNet

Subroutine CloseElecNet
This subroutine closes the current model if one has been built, then closes the ElecNet application
and resets variables.

Subroutine Visibility
This subroutine determines whether the ElecNet window should be visible, by testing the value of
the global variable Visible. The value (True or False) is set by the user’s response to a
question in a dialog box.

Subroutine RunModel
This subroutine calls other subroutines described below to get data from the worksheet and build
the model. It solves the model, and display results on the worksheet.

Subroutine NewModel
This subroutine closes the current model and starts a new model. It also resets some object
variables so that they refer to the new model, and sets the ElecNet solving parameters.

Subroutine GetData
This subroutine gets data from designated cells on the first worksheet, which is assumed to have
the Excel default name Sheet1. The subroutine does no data checking, and simply assumes that
valid data have been entered in numeric form in the worksheet. A production version of the
subroutine should include checks for the data format, and conversion from strings to numbers if
required.

Subroutine MakePlate
This subroutine creates a plate, using data supplied in the parameter list. It is called twice by the
subroutine SolveModel to create the two plates. The ElecNet commands are similar to those
found in a User Script Log file, apart from the string manipulation to use the name of the material
from the worksheet.

Subroutine MakeElectrodes
This subroutine makes the two electrodes by selecting component surfaces, and sets the voltage
on one electrode to the specified voltage difference between the plates.

Subroutine OpenBoundary
This subroutine implements the Kelvin transformation to represent an open boundary. It creates
an interior air space component surrounding the model, and a small exterior air component. The
components are linked with an even periodic boundary condition.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Appendix A 87
Field Equations and Solution

Appendix A

Field Equations and Solution

Field equations
The elementary concepts of electrostatics covered in Chapter 1 are sufficient for using ElecNet to
solve practical problems. It is helpful, however, if the user also has some understanding of the
basic theory given below. See Cheng [4] for a good introductory account of electrostatic theory.
The static electric field is described by the electric field strength E, the electric flux density D,
and for current-flow problems, the current density J, which satisfy the equations
curl E = 0 (A-1)
div D = ρ (A-2)

∂ρ
div J = − (A-3)
∂t
D ε=
= E ε 0ε r E (A-4)
J =σE (A-5)
where ρ is the charge density (charge per unit volume) which is the source of the electric field.
Equation A-2 is the differential form of Gauss’s law – equation 1-2 of Chapter 1.
In electrostatic problems, if charges are confined to the surfaces of conductors and insulators, so
that there is no free charge within the volume of a material, equation A2 reduces to:
div D = 0 (A-6)
To solve this equation, we use equation A-1 to express the electric field strength E in terms of the
electric potential V through the equation
E = −gradV (A-7)
Equation A-6 then becomes
div ( ε grad V ) = 0 (A-8)
which is solved numerically by the finite-element method to determine the electric field in the
device (see the section “Numerical Solution” on page 90). At the surface of an electrode, the
integral form of equation A2 relates the charge to the surface integral of D.
For current-flow problems, within the volume of the conductor equation A-3 becomes:
div J = 0 (A-9)
giving a similar equation to A-8:
div (σ grad V ) = 0 (A-10)
At the surface of the conductor, the integral form of equation A3 relates the conduction current,
which is the rate of flow of charge, to the surface integral of J.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

88 Introduction to ElecNet

Boundary conditions and symmetry

Boundary conditions
To solve the field equations, it is necessary to specify what happens to the field beyond the
device. Theoretically, the field extends to infinity, which implies an open boundary – a boundary
at infinity. For the restricted case of some 2D static problems in translational geometry, an open
boundary can be modeled with the Kelvin transformation technique [5]. ElecNet does not use this
technique automatically, but it can be applied to specific problems in a simple way. Its use is
described below on page 89, and an example is given in the case study on page 58. If the Kelvin
transformation technique is not applicable, it is necessary to specify an artificial far-field
boundary.
In 2D, an artificial boundary takes the form of a closed curve along which a property of the field
is specified. The field property is the boundary condition. Two kinds of boundary condition are
relatively easy to implement when solving the field equations:
• The Dirichlet, or flux tangential, boundary condition. The lines of D or E are parallel to
the boundary.
• The Neumann, or field normal, boundary condition. The direction of E is at right angles
to any portion of the boundary with this condition. Since there is no component of E
parallel to the boundary, there is no change in V, so the boundary is an equipotential. This
is implemented in ElecNet by applying a Ground boundary (V = 0) or defining an
electrode on the boundary.
The default boundary condition in ElecNet is flux tangential, so the entire outer boundary will
become a field line unless the user specifies otherwise. For most problems, this is the best choice.
For an electrostatic problem, it is equivalent to putting the model in a cavity of a material with
zero permittivity, so that no electric flux can escape from the model. For a current-flow problem,
it means there is no escape of electric current from the model. For an electrostatic problem, if the
boundary is taken sufficiently far away from the components of the model, it is a good
approximation to an open boundary. A radius of about 10 times the model dimensions will be
sufficient in many applications.
If the field normal (Ground) boundary condition is applied to the entire boundary, the effect is
equivalent to putting the model in a conductive screening box. This has the opposite effect to the
flux tangential boundary: it draws flux away from the model. This boundary condition is usually
not as good as the flux tangential boundary for representing an open boundary, but it has a
number of uses:
• It is a simple way of simulating the effect of an electric screen around the model.
• It can be used to reduce the size of a model by exploiting symmetry (see below).
For any given artificial boundary shape, it may be shown that the true field in the model lies
between two extremes: the result with a flux tangential boundary condition, and the result with a
field normal boundary condition. A method of checking the size of the boundary is therefore to
repeat the solution using the other boundary condition and compare the results.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Appendix A 89
Field Equations and Solution

Symmetry and periodicity

A line of symmetry in a device is frequently either a field line or a line normal to field lines.
These conditions can be represented by drawing a closed boundary round part of the model and
imposing the flux tangential or field normal (Ground) conditions as required. In this way, only a
portion of the device needs to be modeled. See the case study on the coaxial square conductors
(page 41) for an example.
Devices may have a periodic structure, where the electric field conditions in one part of the
device are similar to the conditions in another part. It is possible to represent such a device by a
model of a small part. The periodic nature of the device is represented by a constraint between the
field values at the two ends of the representative portion. This constraint is termed a periodic
boundary condition. If the field values at the two ends are equal in magnitude and sign, the
constraint is an even periodic boundary condition. If the field values are equal in magnitude but
opposite in sign, the constraint is an odd periodic boundary condition.

Open boundaries
Consider a 2D electrostatic or current-flow problem with translational symmetry that has an open
boundary. Let the 2D model be enclosed in a circle of radius R, so that all the material parts of the
model are inside the circle. The field region comprises two parts: the finite interior of the circle,
and the infinite space outside the circle. In both regions, we have:
E = −gradV [A-7]
For this problem, the Kelvin transformation [5] gives the following useful result: the infinite
space outside the circle of radius R is equivalent to the interior of another circle of any finite
radius kR, if the potentials of all corresponding points on the two circles are identical. To
implement this in ElecNet, it is necessary to construct two air boxes: a normal circular air box
surrounding the model, and a second circular air box to represent the infinite external space. An
even periodic boundary condition is imposed on corresponding curved surfaces of the two air
boxes, forcing the potentials to have the same values at corresponding points. An example of a
manual implementation is given in the case study on channels with an open boundary (page 58),
and a scripting example is given on page 77.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

90 Introduction to ElecNet

Numerical solution
Introduction
The core of ElecNet is a powerful technique for solving the electrostatic field equations
numerically. Most of this process is automatic and virtually transparent to the user, but it is
necessary to control the process by setting the solver and adaption options. As with the
fundamental equations, it is helpful if the user has some understanding of the method.
ElecNet employs the finite-element method [6] to solve the 2D form of equation A-8 or A-9 for
the electric potential. With this method, the region of the problem is divided into a mesh of
triangular elements, and the potential in each element is approximated by a simple function of the
x and y (or r and z) coordinates. The simplest function is a linear variation with position; this
gives first-order elements, where the potential inside a triangular element is obtained from the
potentials at the three vertices or nodes. High-order elements use high-order polynomials and
additional nodes to represent the potential. The problem of solving equation A-8 or A-10 then
reduces to the solution of a set of linear equations for the unknown potentials at all the nodes.
This must be repeated several times if the model contains non-linear dielectric materials.
The accuracy of the finite-element solution depends on three factors: the nature of the field, the
size of the elements, and the element order. In regions where the direction or magnitude of the
field is changing rapidly, high accuracy requires small elements or a high element order. In
addition, the methods used to find the finite-element solution are iterative, with an adjustable
error criterion for terminating the process.
Solver
When non-linear dielectric materials are present, the permittivity ε depends on the local value of
E. Equation A-8 or A-10 is solved as follows:
• Constant values of permittivity are chosen for each element, from the initial point of the
material ε / E curve.
• The resulting linear equations are solved numerically for the electric potential, using the
semi-iterative conjugate gradient method.
• The field strength values are calculated from the potential, and these results are used to
calculate new values for the element permittivities.
• The process is repeated until the element permittivity values have converged.
CG steps
At each step in the conjugate gradient process, the change in the solution is monitored. The
process continues until the change is less than the CG Tolerance. For most static problems, the
default value of 0.01% appears to be too large. A value at least 10 times smaller may be required
for accurate results.
Method of permittivity calculation
For 3D problems, ElecNet gives a choice of the Newton-Raphson method or successive
substitution for calculating updated element permittivity values. The default Newton-Raphson
method normally converges more rapidly, but there can be convergence problems with some
material characteristics, in which case the successive substitution method is required. Only the
Newton-Raphson method is available for 2D problems.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Appendix A 91
Field Equations and Solution

Newton steps
At each step in the permittivity calculation process, the change in the solution is monitored. The
process continues either until the change is less than the Newton Tolerance, or until the limit of
Maximum Newton Iterations is reached. For most problems, the default values of 1% and 20
iterations should be satisfactory.

Polynomial order
The solver polynomial order setting is a global value that applies throughout the model. If its
setting is left at Default, MagNet will use order 1 in translational geometry, and order 2 in
rotational geometry. Order 1 gives a fast solution of low accuracy, and is useful for initial tests on
a complex model, but it is not satisfactory in rotational geometry. For 3D models the polynomial
order of elements in particular components can be specified separately (see “Control of the mesh
structure” on page 92), but for 2D models the solver polynomial order option sets the value that
will be used for the entire model.
With some models, increasing the polynomial order is as effective as using adaption to improve
the solution accuracy. In most cases, however, good results will be obtained by setting the
polynomial order to 2 and using adaption as described below.

Adaption
Adaption is the process of automatic refinement of the mesh to improve the solution accuracy.
For 3D models, there is a choice of two adaption methods: h-type adaption, where element sizes
are halved, and p-type adaption, where the element polynomial order is increased. For 2D models,
only h-type adaption is available.
A consequence of the finite-element approximation to the true field is a discontinuity in the value
of E from one element to the next. ElecNet determines which elements to refine by calculating
the discontinuity error values. At each adaption step, elements with the largest error are refined
first. The adaption option Percentage of Elements to Refine determines the percentage of the total
number of elements that will be refined at each step. The default value of 25% is generally
satisfactory for 2D models. For 3D models, where the number of elements increases very rapidly
at each step, a lower value is appropriate.
After each adaption step, the change in the calculated value of stored electric energy is monitored.
Adaption continues until this change is less than a specified tolerance, or the specified number of
steps has been reached. As the case studies demonstrate, the default tolerance of 1% is generally
too large for a high-accuracy solution. If the quantity of interest is the force or torque, rather than
an energy-related quantity such as capacitance, a more accurate solution may be required, and the
change in the stored electric energy may not be a good indicator. In such cases it is often
advantageous to set the tolerance to a very low (but non-zero) value, and control the mesh
refinement by adjusting the maximum number of adaption steps. The optimum setting can be
determined by changing the number of steps and monitoring the change in the force or torque
value.

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92 Introduction to ElecNet

Control of the mesh structure

If the user takes no action, ElecNet will determine the initial mesh automatically. Adaption can
then be used to refine the mesh to get an accurate solution. For most 2D problems, this should be
satisfactory. In cases where this process fails, or gives very long solution times, the user can
exercise control of the mesh structure by specifying the following quantities.
• Maximum element size: the maximum element edge length. This can be increased to
force adaption to start with a coarse mesh, or reduced to give a fine mesh.
• Curvature refinement ratio: a measure of the maximum deviation when a curved part of
the model is approximated by the straight-line edge of an element.
• Curvature refinement minimum element size: limits over-discretization of tight curves
when the elements are refined.
These properties can be set for the entire model, or on individual components, surfaces and edges.
In addition, the mesh can be controlled by edge subdivision. This feature of ElecNet enables the
user to specify the number of segments on a given component edge (line or arc) when the initial
mesh is generated. The subdivisions can be linear or logarithmic. Details of the procedures for
setting the mesh properties are given in the ElecNet help. For most purposes, the user is
recommended to avoid using edge subdivision because the other methods are more effective.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Appendix A 93
Field Equations and Solution

Appendix B

Energy, Force and Capacitance

Stored energy
Definitions
When an electric field is established in a device by increasing the potentials on electrodes from
zero to some final value, energy must be supplied. This energy is considered to be stored in the
electric field; if hysteresis is neglected, it can be recovered when the potentials are reduced to
zero.
The diagram below shows part of the D-E curve for a non-linear dielectric material. If point b
represents the final electric condition in a particular part of the material, then it may be shown [7]
that the energy density, or energy stored per unit volume, is given by:
=
w ∫ E ⋅ dD [J/m3] (B-1)

1.6D
b
a
energy.
dD

0
o0 c E
1000

The energy density is the area between the D-E curve and the D axis, which is the area oab in the
diagram. The total energy stored in the device is just the integral of the energy density over the
volume:

=
W wdv ∫ ( ∫ E ⋅ dD ) dv
∫= [J]. (B-2)
When a device is solved in ElecNet, the stored energy value displayed in the Energy tab of the
Post-processing bar is the values of W given by equations B-2.

Applications
The usual definition of capacitance is the charge per volt (see page 95). If the stored energy is
calculated in the usual way as ½CV2, this will differ from the stored energy W; in fact, it is equal
to the equivalent linear energy
=
Wlin ∫ ½D ⋅ E dv [J] (B-3)

which is greater than W. If a precise value of the stored energy is required, for example when
energy is dumped from a capacitor, then the value of the stored energy W will be a better estimate
than the value of ½CV2.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

94 Introduction to ElecNet

Force calculation
Maxwell stress
In principle, the electrostatic force can be calculated from the Maxwell stress concept [7] which
gives the stress, or force per unit area, directly in terms of the electric field strength. If En and Et
are the components of field strength normal and tangential to a surface, and σn and σt are the
corresponding components of stress, then:
=σ n ½ε 0 ( En2 − Et2 ) (B-4)
σ t = ε 0 En Et (B-5)
If the surface is closed, and passes entirely through air, the total force and torque may be
determined by integrating the stresses over the surface. This result is completely general; it is
independent of the nature of the objects inside the surface, which may include conductors and
dielectric materials.
If the Maxwell stress method is used to calculate forces from a standard numerical solution for
the field, it is difficult to get accurate results. The integral for the force or torque may be
unreliable if it comprises terms that alternate in sign, leading to an accumulation of numerical
errors. It is also very sensitive to the accuracy of the numerical solution. Users require
considerable skill and experience to get good results by this method.
ElecNet avoids this difficulty with the Maxwell stress method by implementing a method based
on virtual work. This requires no skill on the part of the user, and it usually gives accurate values
for the force and the torque.

Forces on bodies
ElecNet calculates the forces and torques on all the bodies in a device automatically. A body is
defined as a set of connected regions completely surrounded by the special material AIR.

Virtual air shells

Two problems can arise in the calculation of force: ElecNet does not calculate the force on a
component when the entire component has been defined as an electrode, and the singularity in the
value of E at external corners (see page 35) may affect the accuracy of force calculation. A
solution is to surround such components with a thin layer of Virtual Air. This material behaves as
air for the field solution, but it is treated as part of the component for determining the force. The
technique can be used to determine the force on the boundary, which enables force balance to be
verified when there is a single electrode.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 Appendix A 95
Field Equations and Solution

Capacitance calculation
Two terminals
If a system has two electrical terminals, specified by two electrodes or a single electrode and
ground, the magnitude of the charge on each electrode is given by
Q = CV (B-6)
where C is the capacitance and V is the voltage between the terminals. The capacitance is
therefore given by
Q
C= (B-7)
V
where Q is the charge calculated from the field solution with equation 1-2:
=
Q ∫ D ⋅ da
Ñ (B-8)

The energy stored in the capacitance is given by

W = ½CV 2 (B-9)
Thus, the capacitance can also be determined from
2W
C= (B-10)
V2
where W is the stored energy calculated from the field solution with equation B-2:

=
W wdv ∫ ( ∫ E ⋅ dD ) dv
∫= [J]. [B-2]

Multiple electrodes and ground

If a system has several different electrodes maintained at different voltages with respect to
ground, it is necessary to consider the capacitance between each electrode and ground, and
between pairs of terminals. The charges on the electrodes will be a linear combination of the
electrode voltages, so we may put
Q = cV (B-11)
where V is the column vector of voltages of the electrodes with respect to ground, Q is the
column vector of charge values, and c is a square matrix of coefficients. For example, with two
electrodes and ground, we have:
V  c c12 
V =  1  , c =  11
c22 
(B-12)
V2  c12
 Q1   c11V1 + c12V2 
=
Q =    (B-13)
Q2  c12V1 + c22V2 
The elements of c can be determined by finding the values of the elements of Q when the
elements of V are successively set to 1, with all other elements set to zero. In the above example,
we have:
== =
c11 [Q1 ]V1 1 ,= =
c12 [Q2 ]V1 1 = =
, c21 [Q1 ]V2 1 ,=
c22 [Q2 ]V2 1 (B-14)

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

96 Introduction to ElecNet

The RLC calculator determines the capacitance values in an equivalent network where there is a
capacitance Ci0 between electrode i and ground, and a capacitance Cij between electrode i and
electrode j. In the above example, the charges are given by
 Q1   C10V1 + C12 (V2 − V1 )   (C10 − C12 )V1 + C12V2 
=
Q =   =    (B-15)
Q2  C20V2 + C12 (V1 − V2 )  C12V1 + (C20 − C12 )V2 
The coefficients in B-13 and B-15 are related by
C12 =
c12 =
c21 , C10 =
c11 − c12 , C20 =
c22 − c21 (B-16)

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation

 97
References

References
1 W.R. Hayt, Engineering Electromagnetics. New York: McGraw Hill, 4th edition, 1981.
2 M.A.R. Gunston, Microwave Transmission Line Impedance Data. London: Van Nostrand, 1972.
3 B. Popovic, Introductory Engineering Electromagnetics. Addison Wesley, 1971.
4 D.K. Cheng, Fundamentals of Engineering Electromagnetics. Addison-Wesley, 1993.
5 E.M. Freeman and D.A. Lowther, ‘A novel mapping technique for open boundary finite element
solutions to Poisson’s equation’, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 24, 1988, pp. 1934-2936.
6 P.P. Silvester and R.L. Ferrari, Finite Elements for Electrical Engineers, 2nd ed. Cambridge
University Press, 1990.
7 J. A. Stratton, Electromagnetic Theory. New York: McGraw Hill, 1941.

© Copyright 2014, Infolytica Corporation