Introduction of an Electromagnetism Module in LS-DYNA for Coupled Mechanical-Thermal-Electromagnetic Simulations

A new electromagnetism module is being developed in LS-DYNA for coupled mechanical/thermal/electromagnetic simulations. One of the main applications of this module is Electromagnetic Metal Forming. The electromagnetic fields are solved using a Finite Element Method for the conductors coupled with a Boundary Element Method for the surrounding air/insulators. Both methods use elements based on discrete differential forms for improved accuracy. The physics, numerical methods and capabilities of this new module are presented in detail as well as its coupling with the mechanical and thermal solvers of LS-DYNA. This module is then illustrated on two Electromagnetic Metal Forming cases, the forming of an aluminum sheet on a conical die using a spiral coil, and the forming of an aluminum sheet on a v-shaped die using a “double pancake” coil. The experimental setups are presented as well as comparisons between experimental and numerical results.