Lecture 06:

Electro-Thermal Analysis

Introduction to Icepak in AEDT

Release 2019 R1

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 Introduction – Need for Electro-Thermal Analysis
Geometry +
Materials +
Thermal / Flow Environment

Power
Map
Electromagnetic
Thermal Analysis
Analysis
Temperature
Map
No
All devices at safe Redesign heat transfer
Temperature? pathways

Yes
Loop until power
and temperature
maps converge. Thermal safe design for
current Heat load and
environment

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 Introduction
• Electro-Thermal Analysis in ANSYS Electronics Desktop.

HFSS – Icepak Maxwell – Icepak

ANSYS
ANSYS ANSYS ANSYS
HFSS 3D
HFSS Maxwell Q3D
Layout

ANSYS Icepak
HFSS 3D Layout – Icepak Q3D – Icepak
ANSYS Electronics Desktop

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Electro-Thermal Workflow in AEDT
Electrothermal Workflow

Electrothermal ACT Manual Process

o Ideal for HFSS/Maxwell/Q3D users and o Ideal for Mechanical engineers analyzing
Mechanical engineers to analyze critical detailed system level models
components independently
o Icepak model can include several other
o Icepak model includes only the components components (chassis, fans, heatsinks etc.) in
analyzed in the EM design addition to the objects analyzed in the EM
design
o Generic Natural Convection and Forced
Convection scenarios setup by the ACT o Any custom scenario can be analyzed
automatically
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Electrothermal ACT Workflow
1 Complete the EM analysis in HFSS/Maxwell/Q3D

2 Launch Electrothermal ACT

3 Specify Simulation Type, Mesh/Solve Settings and Two-way Coupling Criteria

4 Click Launch to run the ACT

Complete EM analysis Launch ACT

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Electrothermal ACT – Key Features
ACT Objective: Automatically run an electrothermal simulation using AEDT Icepak

• It starts from an existing HFSS/Maxwell/Q3D designs and the toolkit

automatically completes the thermal simulation using AEDT Icepak
• Geometry and material information will be copied over from the EM
tool(s) to Icepak
• EM losses will be mapped automatically from EM design to Icepak
• Boundary conditions for the thermal setup are automatically created
depending on the choice of Natural or Forced convection
• Mesh and Solver settings are set for the Icepak design if those options
are enabled
• Two-way coupling criteria can be defined for the automatic workflow
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Scenario 1: Forced Convection (Active Cooling)
Inputs:
• Flow speed (m/s)
• Flow direction
• Ambient temperature (C) Inlet BC Outlet BC EM losses

Computational Domain:
• Padding is based on the largest length in the geometry
• 100% padding added upstream and downstream of the
model in the flow direction
Post-processing
• 25% padding added perpendicular to the flow direction

Solver Settings:
• Sequential solver is used, and Radiation is turned OFF

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Scenario 2: Natural Convection (Passive Cooling)
Inputs:
• Gravity direction
• Ambient temperature (C)
Inlet BC EM losses
Computational Domain:
• Padding is based on the largest length in the geometry
• 200% padding added in the direction opposite to gravity
• 100% padding added in the direction of gravity
• 50% padding added perpendicular to the direction of gravity Post-processing

Solver Settings:
• Radiation is turned ON

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Electrothermal ACT – GUI and Options
Project/Design:
• Launching the ACT will populate list of projects, designs and
setups for selection
• Up to 5 designs can be selected for coupling to Icepak

Simulation Type:
• Forced or Natural Convection options

Mesh/Solve Settings:
• Mesh and Solve: Geometry is copied to a new Icepak design, EM
losses are imported, Icepak model is setup based on user inputs,
meshed and solved. Basic postprocessing is also displayed
• Mesh Only: Automation ends after the mesh is generated.
Solving and postprocessing have to be completed manually
• No: Automation ends after the thermal analysis has been set in
Icepak. Meshing, solving and postprocessing will be completed
manually. Useful when advanced meshing is needed.
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Electrothermal ACT – GUI and Options
Two-way Coupling:
• Two way Coupling to EM Design: Selecting Yes enables
bidirectional coupling of EM design and Icepak
• Number of Coupling Iterations: Defines the number of
times EM design and Icepak simulations must be launched
and updated with new results
• Continue Icepak Iterations During Coupling: If Yes, Icepak
will use the previous solved solution as the initial condition
for each subsequent loop. This results in faster
convergence.
Launch:
• Execute the electrothermal simulation
Finish:
• Quit the ACT GUI and return to the Extensions Wizard
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Electrothermal ACT – Important Points
• Toolkit does not support 3D components from the EM design

• Material assignments from the EM design must include the

thermal properties

• Toolkit uses Icepak slider bar meshing. For complex

geometries, ‘No’ option should be used for Mesh/Solve to
manually mesh the model

• For 2-way coupling, make sure the EM design is setup

appropriately (temperature dependent material properties
are set and Enable Feedback is checked in EM design)

• For HFSS Layout, only one-way coupling is available. The

toolkit will automatically create mesh regions and assign
appropriate mesh settings
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Electrothermal ACT
• The Electrothermal ACT is available for download from the ANSYS App Store
https://catalog.ansys.com/product/5c13b9ee393ff6712829bcee/electro-thermal

• Great place to get started

• A library of helpful applications available to any ANSYS
customer.
• New apps added regularly.
• Applications made available in either binary format (.wbex
file) or binary plus. scripted format (Python and XML files).
• Scripted extensions are great examples.
• Documentation and training materials available on the
ANSYS Customer Portal:
https://support.ansys.com/AnsysCustomerPortal/en_us/Do
wnloads/ACT+Resources

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Manual 2-way Electrothermal Workflow
1 Complete the EM analysis in HFSS/Maxwell/Q3D

2 Insert an Icepak design and copy-paste the geometry from EM design. Add additional components

3 Specify the inputs, boundary conditions, mesh and solver settings in Icepak

4 Select EM design objects and import EM losses using Assign Thermal > EM losses

5 Add a solution setup and select Add 2-way Coupling. Right-click and select Analyze

EM Design Icepak Design Import EM losses Add 2-way Coupling

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Example First Coupling Iteration Final Coupling Iteration
3 passes
Copper Coil

Insulation

Copper Plate

• Induction heating application at

50 kHz
• Stranded coil above copper
plate has induced eddy current
losses
• Insulation material between 𝑻𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑. 𝟐 °C 𝑻𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏𝟐𝟐. 𝟎 °C
coil and plate. 𝑸𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 = 𝟑. 𝟖𝟗 Watts 𝑸𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 = 𝟓. 𝟎 Watts
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 Sample Problem Definition
• Induction heating application at 50 kHz.
• Stranded coil above copper plate has induced eddy current losses.
• Insulation material between coil and plate.
• Loss density transfer from Maxwell to Icepak.
• Icepak solves temperature field in a natural convection environment.
• Temperature field transfer from Icepak to Maxwell.
• Use built-in two way coupling to loop Icepak and Maxwell solvers until losses and
temperature fields converge.
Maxwell Icepak
Copper Coil EM Losses
EM Losses Temperature

Insulation

Temperature
Copper Plate
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 Maxwell – Eddy Current Setup
Current Excitation in Maxwell

From Maxwell3D > Fields > Calculator

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Geometry Setup
• After completing the Maxwell setup, insert an Icepak Design into the AEDT project.
• In the Maxwell Graphics window, use Ctrl + A, Ctrl + C to copy the entire Maxwell
Geometry and Material information.
• In the Icepak Graphics window, use Ctrl + V to paste the Geometry and Material
information from Maxwell.
− Note the automatic creation of the “air” region around the copied geometry.

Insert Icepak Design Copy from Maxwell Paste into Icepak

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Solution Type and Design Settings
• Set up the Icepak Design for Natural Convection CFD analysis.
Solution Type

For Natural Convection models

we need to solve temperature
and flow equations.

Design Settings Gravity Vector

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Material Setup
• Review the Material setup
− For steady state models, only thermal
conductivity is used.
− For transient models, thermal
conductivity, density and specific heat
are all used.
− At 2019 R1, only steady state
modeling is supported.

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Thermal Setup
• Expand the air region size for
Natural Convection CFD Analysis.
• Percentage offset: computes the
offset based on the min and max
coordinate of that axis.
• Transverse percentage offset: Gravity is in the
will add a bit more padding with minus Z
respect to percentage offset. direction, so the
• Absolute offset: distance air plume will
between closest object and edge rise towards the
of air region. plus Z side.
• Absolute position: location is
based on the air region’s
coordinate system.

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Thermal Setup
• Selection Modes:
− Right-click in GUI > Selection Mode.
− From menu Edit > Selection Mode.
− Or from Ribbon Drop Down.
− Object (O)
− Face (F)
− Edge (E)
− Vertex (V)
− Multi (M)
• Enter Face Selection Mode.
• Select all air region faces.
• Right-click > Assign Thermal
> Opening.
• Use default Pressure Inlet settings.
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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Thermal Setup
• Set up the Electro-Thermal link to map
EM losses.
• Enter Object selection mode (O).
• Select the coil, plate and insulation
objects.
• Right-click > Assign Thermal > EM Loss.
• “Use this Project” will automatically
map losses from existing Maxwell
design.
• “Map Variable by Name” will use the
original variable from Maxwell.

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Solution Setup
• Add an Analysis Setup using laminar flow, radiation, and gravity as shown below.
Right-click…

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Solution Setup
Advanced Solver Options
• Initialize the flow
field with a small
velocity opposite to
the gravity vector.
• Best practices for
under-relaxation
factors discretization
and convergence for Convergence Criteria
natural convection
models are shown.
• These settings can
help improve
convergence and
accuracy.
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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Solution Setup
• Two-way coupling will improve the accuracy of the EM losses.
• This in turn will improve the thermal accuracy.
• Typically two or three coupling iterations are sufficient to get good convergence.
• “Continue Icepak Iterations…” will use restart data files for shorter solve times.
• “Max Icepak Iterations…” is the iteration limit after the first solution.
Right-click…

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 Maxwell – Eddy Current Setup – Solution Setup
• Two-way coupling needs to have temperature dependence in the EM solver.
• In the Maxwell design, Maxwell 3D > Set Object Temperature.
• “Include Temperature Dependence” and “Enable Feedback” must be checked ON.
• The temperature dependent materials must have the “Thermal Modifier” active.

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Mesh Setup
• The default middle slider bar setting
provides a good Icepak mesh.
• Models that need additional mesh
refinement should use a combination of
mesh levels, and mesh regions.

422k Cells

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Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Solution Profile and Solution Monitors
Profile
Right-click… Total Loss at each
coupling iteration

3.89 Watts

Monitor 4.81 Watts

#1 #2 #3 5.00 Watts

Each Coupling Iteration Total Solver Time

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 Icepak – Eddy Current Setup – Results
First Coupling Iteration Final Coupling Iteration

𝑻𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑. 𝟐 °C 𝑻𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏𝟐𝟐. 𝟎 °C

𝑸𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 = 𝟑. 𝟖𝟗 Watts 𝑸𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 = 𝟓. 𝟎 Watts

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 Thank You!

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