Induction heating is no longer just an industrial buzzword—it’s a precision tool used across sectors from automotive to aerospace. Induction heating involves complex multiphysics: electromagnetic fields inducing currents that generate heat via Joule effect. Simulation allows engineers to optimize design parameters—like coil geometry and material properties—before hardware prototypes, saving both time and cost.
This blog will demonstrate how to model induction heating using two powerful simulation workflows within ANSYS. The model that will be studied is shown below. It includes the coil which has AC current flowing through it, and a conductive disk next to the coil. Eddy current will be generated inside the disk and therefore heat up the disk. The steady-state temperature of the disk will be modeled in ANSYS.
Approach #1: Link Maxwell and Mechanical Thermal using ANSYS System Coupling
This approach requires users to prepare one Maxwell model and one Mechanical Thermal model (in Workbench) andd link them with System Coupling.
Step 1: Prepare the Maxwell model
Users can define a temperature-dependent material for the disk.
After the materials are all set, the temperature needs to be set. Make sure to check the boxes "Include Temperature Dependence" and "Enable Feedback".
A system coupling setup needs to be added in the Maxwell model. After this is done, the Maxwell model can be saved and closed. In the Maxwell model folder, a .scp file will be created and will be used later.
Step 2: Prepare the Mechanical Thermal model in Workbench
The Mechanical model will only need to include the disk geometry. The losses from Maxwell will be mapped into the disk in Mechanical Thermal. The boundary conditions are set as shown below (natural convection only).
Users need to add a system coupling region and assign the disk body to that region.
After the system coupling region is assigned, users need to write the system coupling files into the folder where the model is saved. Similar to the Maxwell model preparation, a .scp file will also be created in the Mechanical model's folder. Now, the model can be saved and closed.
Step 3: Link Maxwell and Mechanical with System Coupling
System Coupling is an ANSYS tool that can link different models to do multiphysics simulation. The previously created .scp files need to be added to the System Coupling Setup.
Then one Coupling Interface is required: side One is AEDT and side Two is Mechanical.
The next thing to do is to add two DataTransfer. One is to transfer the temperature, and the other one is to transfer the loss. For more details about the model setup in System Coupling, please refer to the video below. Once all setup is completed, solve the System Coupling model and it will do a 2-way coupling analysis.
Step 4: Check the results
The temperature results can be displayed in either Maxwell or Mechanical.
Results from Maxwell model:
Results from Mechanical model (Workbench): the temperature distribution is the same as the one from Maxwell.
Approach #2: Link Maxwell and Mechanical Thermal inside ANSYS Electronics Desktop (AEDT)
With this approach, users only need to use one interface: AEDT. AEDT supports both Maxwell and Mechanical Thermal simulations.
Step 1: Create target Mechanical design in AEDT
After the Maxwell model is created, a Target Design needs to be created.
A Mechanical Thermal model will then be created automatically. The boundary conditions and mapped losses are already added.
Step 2: Add 2-way coupling
A 2-way coupling needs to be added. After that, the Mechanical model can be analyzed.
Step 3: Check the results
The results will be available in both Maxwell and Mechanical models.
Results from the source Maxwell model:
Results from the target Mechanical model: the temperature distribution is the same as the one from the Maxwell model and also very close to the results obtained from the System Coupling approach.
Both approaches can provide very accurate results. For this particular example, the coupling inside AEDT will be easier as users only need to focus on one interface. The System Coupling tool on the other hand, is a very powerful tool which can couple ANSYS Maxwell and Fluent.
The video below walks through these steps in detail.
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Ozen Engineering Inc. leverages its extensive consulting expertise in CFD, FEA, optics, photonics, and electromagnetic simulations to achieve exceptional results across various engineering projects, addressing complex challenges such as antenna design, signal integrity, electromagnetic interference (EMI), and electric motor analysis using Ansys software.
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