EBOOK
1 INTRODUCTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC NOISE,
2 VIBRATION, AND HARSHNESS
WHAT LEADS TO ACOUSTIC NOISE IN
3 ELECTRIC MACHINES?
CHALLENGES IN PREDICTING VIBRATION &
4 ACOUSTIC NOISE IN ELECTRIC MACHINES
LEVERAGING SIMULATION TO OVERCOME
5 NVH ISSUES & MEET NVH REQUIREMENTS
6 E-MOTOR NOISE MITIGATION TECHNIQUES
Introduction
When a child is asked what sound a car makes, they often imitate a "vroom-
vroom!"
However, if the same question is posed to an automotive engineer, the answer
becomes considerably more intricate. The wide range of sounds a car generates
– from the gentle whirr of wind brushing against a side mirror to the augmented
thrust of an electric vehicle's acceleration – contributes significantly to the
holistic driving experience. To meticulously shape, recognize, and refine these
auditory aspects of automobiles, engineers depend on the expertise of a
discipline known as NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness).
Electromagnetic Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (E-NVH) encompass the
investigation and evaluation of auditory and tactile responses within an object.
Given that sounds can be bothersome or advantageous, the analysis of NVH aids
in pinpointing the source and cause of sounds. Subsequently, engineers can
diminish or erase undesirable noises, while also amplifying desirable sounds –
like the distinctive purr of a motorcycle – by employing a blend of simulation
and real-world testing techniques.
Now, let’s get into it.
SIMUTECH GROUP
PART 2
Electromagnetic
Noise, Vibration,
and Harshness
What does E-NVH stand for?
The four parts of E-NVH cover a range of sound indicators — its source, how it is
heard, how it is felt, and whether it is perceived to be pleasant or annoying.
ELECTROMAGNETIC
Electromagnetic originates from the oscillations of the functional components
within the electric apparatus within the audible spectrum (20 Hz to 20 kHz),
induced by electromagnetic forces such as magnetostriction and Maxwell
forces. For instance, a direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator
designed for wind turbine use, operating at low speed but high torque, could
produce a hum at a "low frequency" of around 100 Hz. In contrast, a high-speed
brushless DC motor utilized in applications like model making might give rise to
a "high frequency" whine that can reach up to 8000 Hz.
NOISE
Noise refers to the auditory propagation
resulting from a specific entity, like the
buzzing of a sunroof opening, an
engine's rumble, the forceful closing of a
door, the operation of an HVAC system,
or the clicks of a seat belt buckle.
VIBRATION
Vibration denotes the repetitive back-
and-forth movements occurring at a
particular frequency. Within a vehicle,
vibrations can be sensed through the
steering wheel, seats, armrests, floor,
and pedals, each at varying speeds.
HARSHNESS
Harshness encapsulates the subjective
nature linked to both noise and
vibration. While these elements can be
measured objectively, harshness
pertains to the discomfort arising from
unpleasant sounds. The perception of
harshness is personal, varying from one
individual to another.
SIMUTECH GROUP
PART 3
What Leads to
Acoustic Noise
in Electric
Machines?
Acoustic Noise Sources in
Electrical Machines
The term "electric machine" encompasses electric generators and electric motors,
which serve to either convert electrical energy to mechanical power or vice versa.
In the operation of these intricate devices, there are multiple origins of vibration
and acoustic noise, including factors such as incomplete mechanical assembly,
rotor and fan aerodynamics, and electromagnetic forces. Among these,
electromagnetic forces, particularly radial forces, emerge as the primary
instigator of displeasing sounds stemming from electric machines.
Electromagnetic forces comprise two aspects: radial force and tangential force.
Radial force lacks involvement in energy conversion and is responsible for
generating vibrations. Conversely, tangential force engages in energy conversion
through the mean electromagnetic torque, while simultaneously contributing to
noise and vibration through torque fluctuations.
Aerodynamic noise propagates directly to the surrounding environment, whereas
force and vibration transmit through mechanical structures before radiating into
the surroundings by means of surface displacement.
SIMUTECH GROUP
PART 4
Challenges in
Predicting
Vibration &
Acoustic Noise
in Electric
Machines
Prediction of vibration and acoustic noise generated by electric machines is an
important but challenging task due to different physical domains and complex
interactions among these domains. Electromagnetics, thermodynamics, and
vibro-acoustic analyses are required in a coupled fashion for a precise prediction
of acoustic noise generated by electric machines. This becomes even more
challenging when you consider electric machines as an integrated part of a larger
system like an electric powertrain. Interaction between the electric machine and
other parts of the system — like a gearbox and mounting hardware — affect the
vibration and acoustic noise significantly and should be considered in the
simulation. Therefore, to accurately predict the acoustic noise there are four
essential elements of importance,
FOUR ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
TO PREDICT ACOUSTIC NOISE
A HIGH-FIDELITY SIMULATION A PLATFORM TO COUPLE
SOLUTION TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL ALL THE DIFFERENT PHYSICS
THE PHYSICS INVOLVED. ELEMENTS.
ABILITY TO PARAMETERIZE AND HIGH PERFORMANCE
OPTIMIZE MACHINE DESIGN COMPUTING (HPC)
PARAMETERS FOR EACH OF THE CAPABILITY TO ACCELERATE
PHYSICS INVOLVED. THE SIMULATION.
A detailed NVH analysis is required to fine tune the design for optimized NVH
performance, but it may not be the best solution for the concept design and
sizing stages where designers need to select proper topology among many
choices and perform iterative trade-off design studies. A quick NVH check in the
design and sizing process can eliminate high noise cases and can save a lot of
time by avoiding a need for substantial changes during the optimization process.
The quick NVH workflow should still include major physics with more time
efficient models.
SIMUTECH GROUP
PART 5
Leveraging
Simulation to
Overcome NVH
Issues & Meet
Requirements
How Can Simulation Aid in
Overcoming NVH Issues in
Electric Machines?
Addressing electromagnetic noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) presents a
significant design consideration across various fields involving electric machines.
These fields span from medical equipment to electric vehicles and household
appliances. Elevated vibration levels can curtail the operational lifespan of
electric machines, while excessive noise not only contributes to noise pollution
but also negatively impacts well-being and comfort. Moreover, in critical sectors
like military applications, NVH contributes to the distinct vibroacoustic
signature. Given these factors, it's no surprise that numerous national and
international standards and certifications mandate the restriction of vibration
and audible noise produced by devices to a specific acceptable threshold.
Multi-component systems with
embedded electric machines such
RELYING ON A PURELY
as electric vehicles, home
appliances, and medical devices EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH IN
are complex systems. Due to this DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATIONS OF
complexity and the nonlinear QUIET ELECTRIC MACHINES
coupled physics governing the
INCREASES THE COST AND TIME
magnetic and structural behavior
of these systems, the level of FOR DESIGN MODIFICATIONS
acoustic noise in applications is not SIGNIFICANTLY.
easy to predict without proper
modeling and simulation.
Relying on a purely experimental approach in design and optimizations of quiet
electric machines increases the cost and time for design modifications
significantly. In many cases, NVH issues are identified during prototype testing,
which is the last stage of the design cycle. Making design changes during this
stage proves to be expensive and delays the production cycle. This is where
simulation comes into play. Simulation can help in the accurate prediction of
vibration and acoustic noise at the beginning of the design cycle, so it is key to
reducing production costs and time to market.
End-to-End
Simulation Solutions
Ansys offers an end-to-end NVH solution for electric machines. The solution
includes a fast NVH workflow and a high-fidelity NVH workflow for calculating
acoustic noise of electromagnetic and mechanical origins. Aerodynamic origin
acoustic noise can also be calculated using Ansys Fluent.
FAST NVH WORKFLOW
A fast NVH workflow is developed for the concept design stage where a quick
comparison of noise level for different motor designs/topologies is needed, and
only takes a few minutes to predict the noise over a full speed sweep. It can
identify the cause of motor noise early on and help make relevant design
changes in trade-off with other motor performance targets, allowing the NVH,
thermal, and electromagnetic behavior to be investigated at the same time.
FIG. 3. FAST NOISE, VIBRATION, AND HARSHNESS WORKFLOW
Electromagnetic Mechanical Acoustic
System System Environment
Sinusoidal Currents
The workflow shown in figure 3 is completely integrated into Ansys Motor-CAD.
It begins with a current-driven, finite-element-based electromagnetic analysis
where airgap forces are calculated using the Maxwell stress tensor method.
These forces can be plotted in various forms along with their time and
frequency domain harmonics. Then, these forces are used by an analytical
mechanical model to calculate free motion and forced responses. Surface
velocity is then transferred to an analytical acoustic model to compute the
sound power levels. This workflow can be run for different values of torque,
speed, and temperature.
FAST NVH WORKFLOW, CONTINUED
The NVH workflow in Ansys Motor-CAD provides designers with various
representations of force, displacement, and acoustic power as seen in Fig. 4. In
addition to concept comparisons, the speed of the workflow allows for rapid
design iteration to investigate many different options to improve NVH
performance.
FIG. 4. VARIOUS FORMS OF NOISE, VIBRATION, AND HARSHNESS RESULTS
VISUALIZATION ARE AVAILABLE IN ANSYS MOTOR-CAD
Radiated Power Tracking (Frequency) (Stator)
Stator (Radial) Data
Stator (Radial) Harmonic Amplitude
Stator (Radial) Harmonic Angle
Stator (Radial) Data Radiated Power Tracking (Frequency and Space) (Stator)
Stator (Radial) Harmonic Amplitude
Stator (Radial) Harmonic Angle
HIGH-FIDELITY IS THE KEY
A high-fidelity NVH workflow requires coupled Multiphysics analysis using 2D
and 3D finite element method (FEM). We want to take you through a true best-
in-class multiphysics workflow from Ansys.
FIG. 5. HIGH-FIDELITY NOISE, VIBRATION, AND HARSHNESS WORKFLOW
Looking at the complete workflow as shown in figure 5: First the best design
candidate is chosen in Ansys Motor-CAD. Following that, a 2D or 3D Maxwell
model can be generated automatically. Detailed magnetic analysis is performed in
Ansys Maxwell to calculate electromagnetic forces inside the machine. Circuit-
coupled transient analysis provides the user with the capability to consider carrier
harmonics from power electronics converters.
Electromagnetic forces are automatically mapped to the mechanical model in
Ansys Mechanical for vibroacoustic analysis. Details of electric motor structure
such as bearing, housing, and mounting can significantly affect the vibrational
behavior through a change in natural frequency and overall damping. This can be
precisely modeled in Mechanical in both time and frequency domains. In the case
of electric drivetrain, the mechanical origin vibration from gearbox, bearing, and
auxiliary system can also be added using Ansys Motion. The acoustic module in
Ansys Mechanical calculates the acoustic power radiated from electric machine
surface to surrounding.
Finally, computed acoustic noise can be sent to Ansys Sound for generating
audible sound and extra postprocessing. In parallel, aeroacoustics noise can be
calculated using Ansys Fluent and transferred to Ansys Sound to be combined
with acoustic noise from mechanical and electromagnetic sources.
To bring all these elements together, Ansys offers the Workbench Platform to
connect all physics and several HPC algorithms throughout the process to
accelerate high-fidelity NVH computations. An example to give you a clear idea of
how different physics are connected inside Ansys Workbench to perform NVH
analysis is shown in figure 6.
FIG. 6. DIFFERENT PHYSICS CONNECT IN ANSYS WORKBENCH TO COMPUTE ACOUSTIC
NOISE GENERATED BY AN ELECTRIC MACHINE.
Ansys offers solutions for NVH simulation in electric machines from concept
design to sound perception level. Multiphysics fast and high-fidelity workflows are
provided to address the NVH analysis needs throughout the entire design and
validation process. In addition, Ansys optiSLang can be used to optimize NVH
performance over both fast and high-fidelity NVH workflows thanks to Ansys high-
performance computing and cloud solutions.
SIMUTECH GROUP
PART 6
E-Motor Noise
Mitigation
Techniques
IMPLEMENTATION INTEGRATION OF
OF SKEWING NOTCHES
Skewing entails rotating a segment of Introducing notches, which modify
the electric machine to smooth the airgap reluctance, can artificially
average field and cancel specific increase the effective slot number.
harmonics. This technique can be However, their effects are dependent on
applied to the stator, rotor, or both, the machine's operating point.
depending on the machine's topology.
UTILIZATION OF INFLUENCE OF POLE
FLUX BARRIERS MAGNETIZATION
Flux barriers or pockets in stator or rotor Manipulating magnetization patterns
components can modify airgap flux allows tuning of rotor magnetomotive
harmonic content and related magnetic force (MMF) harmonic content and
force harmonics due to local saturation subsequently influences the electric
effects. motor's vibroacoustic behavior.
However, shaping the magnetization
pattern and optimizing pole dimensions
to minimize specific noise-generating
harmonics might create new
resonances.
ROLE OF IMPACT OF
POLE SHAPING ASYMMETRIES
Magnet and pole shoe shaping enable Striving for MMF with minimal
fine-tuning of rotor MMF harmonic harmonic distortion, as in an Internal
content and the resulting vibroacoustic Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
attributes of the electric machine. (IPMSM) with distributed-winding and
Nevertheless, it's important to note that V-shaped magnets, can introduce noise
modifying a single harmonic might due to manufacturing and assembly
exacerbate others due to constructive deviations causing asymmetry.
and destructive interference.
CONSIDERATION OF CONSIDERATION
POLE/SLOT/PHASE OF CONTROL
CONFIGURATIONS STRATEGIES
Increasing the number of slots per Manipulating magnetizing flux,
pole per phase reduces the density of rather than torque, can influence
airgap flux harmonics and the magnetic noise, enabling an increase
resulting magnetic forces. Elevating in torque with constant flux.
pole pairs, though, leads to decreased
electromagnetic yoke height and
amplified vibration and noise. Yet,
augmenting pole pairs can also alter
force wavenumbers and bring about
new resonances.
HARMONIC CURRENT MANAGING STRUCTURAL
INJECTION RESPONSE
Injecting harmonic currents can
Shifting natural frequencies away
counterbalance specific vibration
from magnetic excitations can yield
harmonics by modulating the spatial
reduced noise and vibration.
harmonics of MMF winding functions.
INCREASE IN AIRGAP WANT TO TALK TO
Adjusting the airgap width can AN EXPERT ABOUT
impact magnetic force harmonics
and influence noise levels. NVH?
CONTACT US
About the
Author
AHMED ABDELRAHMAN, PH.D., [Link].
Ahmed Abdelrahman, Senior Staff Engineer at SimuTech Group,
holds a Ph.D. from Ontario Tech University, Canada and [Link]. and
[Link]. degrees from Cairo University, Egypt. He specializes in
Electromagnetics, Electric Machine Design, E-NVH of Electric
Machines, and Multiphysics Simulation. With a decade of practical
engineering experience, Dr. Abdelrahman has multiple published
articles and research papers.
Notable projects Dr. Abdelrahman has worked on include:
Multi-phase IPM Motor Design:
Electromagnetic design of six-phase and dual three-phase
IPMs.
Multiphysics Workflow Platform for Traction Motor Design:
Building a comprehensive platform that involves
Electromagnetic, CFD, structural and E-NVH.
Two/Three Wheeler SRM Motor Design:
Thermal CFD analysis of SRM integrated drive.
Motorcycle SRM Motor Design:
EM/Thermal (CFD) analysis of a finned SRM integrated drive.
SimuTech Group has over 40 years of experience inspiring clients to push the
boundaries of innovation and deliver transformational products. Leveraging Ansys
simulation software, we offer engineering expertise in the areas of structural,
thermal, electronics, optics, and fluids analysis.
SimuTech is the trusted advisor to over 4,000 clients, helping Ansys users gain
insight to improve product efficiency, reliability, and performance. With employees
located all over the U.S. and Canada, we’re proud to provide both virtual and in-
person services to customers within our territories.
We invite you to connect with our team of engineering experts to solve your
Ansys challenges and move projects forward.
WORLD-CLASS ENGINEERING SIMULATION SERVICES
No matter what type of support you need, our engineering expertise will help you overcome your
challenges and improve your product efficiency and reliability.
Ansys Ansys Engineering 1-on-1 Physical
Software Training Consulting Mentoring Testing
ANSYS ELITE CHANNEL PARTNER
As an Ansys Elite Channel Partner, we provide industry expertise,
personalized training, local presence, and consulting services that
allow customers to realize the full potential of their simulation needs.
SimuTech Group receives comprehensive training on Ansys
technology and is required to meet stringent certification and
resource requirements in order to best serve our customers.
The Elite Channel Partner status is granted to channel partners that meet exceptional metrics for
customer satisfaction, depth and breadth of technology coverage, highly qualified and certified
engineers, business growth and sales volume, and showing command of the end-to-end customer
experience.
SIMUTECH GROUP
[Link]
info@[Link]
(800) 566-9190