Plenary Lecture - A Spline-based Workflow for Design and Optimization of electric Machines

Abstract: We present an integrated spline-based workflow for the modeling, simulation, and optimization of electric machines and discuss its mathematical foundations. Based on B-splines and non-uniform rational B-splines, isogeometric analysis provides a unified representation of the machine geometry and the associated electromagnetic, mechanical, and thermal fields. This enables the exact representation of curved interfaces, efficient treatment of rotor motion, and direct modification of geometric control points during optimization. Parametric design variables and free-form shape variations can be combined within gradient-based optimization frameworks without repeated remeshing or geometry reconstruction. Applications to realistic design problems demonstrate how the workflow can systematically improve relevant performance indicators, such as unwanted higher harmonics, while preserving geometries suitable for subsequent computer-aided design and manufacturing. The approach thus provides a flexible foundation for automated, simulation-driven electric-machine design.
 

Speaker: Sebastian Schöps (Computational Electromagnetics Group, TU Darmstadt)
 

Date and Time: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | 08:30 - 09:30
Venue: NTI Lecture Hall