Quantitative Assessment of Finite-element Models for Magnetostatic Field Calculations

TL;DR

This paper introduces quantitative methods to assess the numerical accuracy of 3D finite-element magnetostatic field calculations, demonstrating their effectiveness through modeling of quadrupole electromagnets in a particle accelerator.

Contribution

It develops general accuracy assessment techniques for finite-element magnetostatic models, applicable beyond the specific software used, and illustrates them with real-world electromagnet simulations.

Findings

Refinement reduces RMS curl component by nearly 70 times.

Achieved 2.9% accuracy for dodecapole coefficient.

Demonstrated effectiveness of accuracy assessment methods in practical magnet modeling.

Abstract

We present quantitative means for assessing the numerical accuracy of static magnetic field calculations in finite-element models. Our calculations use the three-dimensional Opera simulation software suite of Dassault Syst`emes. Our need to assess the effects of fringe fields requires such a 3D algorithm. While we do discuss and compare our approach to a method of accuracy estimation used in the Opera post-processor, our methods are generally applicable to any model using relaxation techniques in finite-element systems. For purposes of illustration, we present modeling and analysis of two types of quadrupole electromagnets presently in operation in the south arc of the Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR). Calculations of field multipole expansion coefficients and numerical deviations from Maxwell's equations in source-free regions are discussed, with emphasis on the dependence of their accuracy on changes to the finite-element model. Successive refinement steps in the finite-element model for the non-extraction type of CESR south arc quadrupole achieve a reduction in the RMS value of the longitudinal component of the curl vector on the magnet axis by a factor of nearly 70 from $4.38 \times 10^{-2}$ T/m to $6.36 \times 10^{-4}$ T/m, which is 0.0021% of the field gradient. An accuracy of 2.9% is achieved for a dodecapole coefficient of $2.4 \times 10^{-4}$ of that of the quadrupole in the longitudinal integral of the vertical field gradient at a radius of 1 cm.