Modelling stranded wires using homogenization and the Cauer ladder method

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new method to model a stranded wire efficiently in 3D finite element simulations. Design/methodology/approach In this method, the stranded wires are numerically approximated with the Cauer ladder network (CLN) model order reduction method in 2D. This approximates the eddy current effect such as the skin and proximity effect for the whole wire. This is then projected to a mesh which does not include each strand. The 3D fields are efficiently calculated with the CLN method and are projected in the 3D geometry to be used in simulations of electrical components with a current vector potential and a homogenized conductivity at each time step. Findings In applications where the stranded wire geometry is known and does not change, this homogenization approach is an efficient and accurate method, which can be used with any stranded wire configuration, homogenized stranded wire mesh and any input signal dependent on time steps or frequencies. Originality/value In comparison to other methods, this method has no direct frequency dependency, which makes the method usable in the time domain for an arbitrary input signal. The CLN can also be used to interconnected stranded cables arbitrarily in electrical components.