Finite element computation of three-dimensional electrostatic and magnetostatic field problems

Three-dimensional field solutions have been of considerable interest in electric machine field problems for a number of years. However, only with the advent of large scale computers, numerical analysis methods, developments in grid generation and graphics display techniques computation of three-dimensional magnetic fields has become somewhat tractable. In this paper, the progress made by the authors' company in three-dimensional field computation for scalar and vector field problems is presented. Several applications and comparison of solutions with test results, where available, and other methods are included. New computational techniques employing mixed scalar and vector formulations are introduced and comparison of results in one case with those obtained by direct methods is presented.