Electromechanical Effects
When electromagnetic fields result in a force between two opposite poles, this force, if large enough, causes structural deformation. In some cases, the deformations of the solid are large enough to affect the electromagnetic fields, so that the describing physics must be fully coupled.
Applications of this multiphysics coupling are numerous and varied, ranging from motors and drives to giant industrial electromagnets and railguns to micro-tweezers used in MEMS devices. Modeling this interaction involves the coupling between structural mechanics and electromagnetism.
Electromechanical Analysis of a Comb Drive
The animation shows the electrostatic potential on the comb and the von Mises Stress on the spring of a comb drive, demonstrating how the opposite poles are pulled together as the voltage increases.
