Motor CAD

Motor-CAD is a thermal analysis package for electric motors and generators, developed and sold by Motor Design Ltd. It was initially released in 1999.

Modules are available for brushless permanent magnet motors (BPM), outer rotor BPM motors, induction motors, permanent magnet dc machines, switched reluctance motors, synchronous machines and claw pole machines.

Cooling methods modelled include natural convection (Totally enclosed non ventilated - TENV), forced convection (Totally enclosed fan cooled - TEFC), through ventilation, water jackets, submersible, wet rotor and wet stator, spray cooling, radiation and conduction.

A wide range of housing types can be modelled.

Thermal analysis of electric machines is regarded as a more challenging area of analysis than electromagnetic analysis in the construction of the model and the accuracy achievable.

Thermal analysis of electrical machines is becoming ever more important due to the increasing drive for energy efficiency and compact design machines. This is particularly true for the aerospace and automotive sectors where size, weight and efficiency are driving the design of machines.

The design approach often taken is to consider both electromagnetic and thermal aspects of a machines design at the early stages in machine design, where Motor-CAD allows this to be done.

Other possible modelling techniques include finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics. Motor-CAD has been shown to give results with a similar accuracy in a fraction of the time.