Version and History

Version 1.0.9.2 (Not for Release)

The present version is 1.0.9.2 beta

The release date is June 25, 2010.

(This release will undergo changes with the same release number. Check periodically for the changes.)

- More emphasis will be given to integrating Cobalt module into Samarium.

- More emphasis will be given to Slotless motor design capability.

- Existing users will need to run license information request application before upgrading to a newer version. Required due to migration in a previous version.

- Adding multi-pole slotless motor support.

- Adding inductance values from FEA post-processing.

- Adding full Database editor support.

- Started final compiling on 6 core AMD 3.2 GHz processor.

- Added motor time constants in output data sheet.

- Dxf export can now handle buried spoke magnet rotors.

- Added formal optimization with user defined constraints and steps. This is ongoing and will not be made available to general users until fully developed and tested. Some parameters will always be 'locked' for general users.

- Fixed a bug in mesh generation markers for IPM1 rotor with holes.

- Fixed a bug in hub weight calculation for IPM1 type rotor.

- Fixed a bug in partial motor IPM mesh generation that would not generate the Hub point correctly when the magnet thickness was made large.

- Fixed a bug that would cause crash when coil spans were not equal in Custom winding option.

- Fixed minor bugs in Graph module and added some UI features. Changed how Graph is integrated within Samarium, it is more robust and easier to use now from code standpoint.

- Minor improvements in several modules in Samarium.

- Added check for cogging torque symmetry to reduce rotor angular steps in FEA multirun. One full electrical cycle, half electrical cycle, one full cogging torque cycle, and half a cogging torque cycle is now supported for FEA skew calculations.

- Fixed a bug in the output data printer settings page that would cause the application to crash.

- Fixed minor bugs in Cobalt module in partial model mesh generation. Cobalt supports different shaft material from this version on.

- Fixed a bug in mesh input data generation when more than 3 bifurcations are specified.

- Known issue with the graph module: multiple series with values less that 1e-12 cannot be plotted. This will be resolved in future releases. The x, y components of the radial force in multirun FEA is forced to zero if this condition is true for plotting.

- Major internal change in Licensing. Users will require to provide new hardware signature during next upgrade or new install.

- Added midpoint method as another option for the ODE solver for phase currents.

- Added Huen's method of prediction and correction as another option for the ODE solver for phase currents.

- Changed licensing method to make it more robust. Existing user must install a newer version of Samarium with new License files.

- Added true PWM with varying duty cycle simulation as an option method to use for wye, delta winding current solutions.

- Fixed the known issue, program may crash if the rotor type is changed before page 2 of the input property pages is made visible at least once.

- Added a type of interior or buried magnet rotor support for inner rotor motors. Partial motor model for FEA is not complete.

- Fixed a bug in winding algorithm that crashed when the span was made equal to Nss. Program how just exits the winding routines with a warning.

- Fixed a bug in multirun current column: Ic, which displayed Ib instead of Ic earlier, in the Advanced FEA source options.

- Winding diagram now has coil direction indicators, options for size, etc. has been added.

- Fixed a bug in output data class, printing does not delete any sections anymore.

- Made minor changes to the software to allow installation in Windows XP 32 bit, 64 bit and Windows Vista.

- Added multiple clipping planes and option to visualize the clipping planes. Capping clipped objects has not been implemented.

- Modified winding algorithm to allow for single side coils in each slot. Modified mesh input algorithm to accept this type of balanced windings for FEA.

Version 1.0.6.0 - 1.0.8.2

The present version is 1.0.8.2

The release date is March 09, 2009.

- Added element, node search and display routines for mesh.

- Updated OpenGL routines and added new features for object materials, lighting.

- Changed material data structures for FEA, added non-linear shaft material at v1.0.8.0.

- Added limited recovery capability for multirun.

- Updated save/load ability to include bifurcated teeth. Files saved with older versions of Samarium will have to be converted.

- Added support for bifurcated teeth for inner and outer rotor slotted motors.

- Modified Dxf export support routines.

- Modified drawing algorithm significantly to reduce/eliminate poor results that can occur in certain rare cases.

- Modified structure creation and initialization to make them faster.

- Fixed the re-usage of initial conditions to speed up convergence of iterative solutions.

- All mesh orders support Gradient Recovery fields and air gap force error computations.

- Added warning messages when program is denied RAM allocation requests by OS.

- Added option of not using display lists for mesh related visualizations.

- Used split array methods in v1.0.6.4 and removed slower code in newer versions.

- Changed internal storage structures to make them more efficient and faster.

- Added updated save/load ability for FEA.

- Added scale bar to the Open GL view window.

- Added nodal force error adaptive mesh generation in air gap for accurate torque calculations.

- Fixed Dxf export which did not handle stator and rotor holes properly.

- Fixed some minor bugs in rotor holes feature in FEA.

- Fixed a bug in partial motor reusable mesh feature where the number of nodes were mismatched due to improper BC.

- Fixed Graph FFT problem.

Known issues

- Dxf export does not export bifurcated stator teeth using arcs, only lines are used.

- Mesh sizes greater than ~500k nodes may result in denial of memory allocation by OS. x64 Samarium will be available in the future to overcome this limitation. In the present case using multiple threads for large mesh sizes will result in memory being denied by OS even earlier. The only solution to overcome this problem is to reduce mesh density.

Multi-pole slotless motor design is also planned. The order of implementation has not been decided at this time. A rough idea of some of the things to come is shown below in no particular order.