Learning Forum

[Yiwen Ren]

Can ANSYS achieve coupling between force and electricity? If possible, which module should I use?

[peteroznewman]

Ansys Maxwell is an electromagnetic field solver for electric machines, transformers, wireless charging, permanent magnet latches, actuators, and other electromechanical devices. It solves static, frequency-domain and time-varying magnetic and electric fields. Ansys Maxwell is included in the free Ansys Student license for Electronics Desktop.

The free Ansys Student license for Structural and Fluids problems includes a Magnetostatic solver which can sovle for the force created by a coil near a magnet.

I have not tried Maxwell, but I believe that is more capable than the Magnetostatic solver in Ansys Student.

[dlooman]

Piezoelectric elements couple electric field and stress, which is a similar concept.

[wrbulat]

... and of course if you create a model with the coupled field element option we use for piezoelectric analyses (mentioned by Dave above) but do not define piezoelectric material properties, the elements then become "electroelastic", meaning they may be used to transmit electrostatic forces to/between moving/deforming structures. Many MEMS devices are actuated in this manner (e.g., RF switches, MEMS gyros, MEMS micromirrors). If this is of interest to you, please try to locate and review the Help sections that discuss Coupled Field Analyses to get a preliminary sense of what's possible and how to set such problems up: