Physical modeling and numerical computation of magnetostriction

Purpose – Magnetostrictive alloys are widely used in actuator and sensor applications. The purpose of this paper is to developed a realistic physical model and a numerical computational scheme for their precise computation.Design/methodology/approach – The main step in the physical modeling is the decomposition of the mechanical strain and the magnetic induction into a reversible and an irreversible part. For the efficient solution of the arising coupled nonlinear partial differential equations the authors apply the finite element method.Findings – It can be demonstrated, that the hysteresis operators can be fitted by appropriate measurements. Therewith, the developed physical model and numerical simulation scheme is applicable for the design of magnetostrictive actuators and sensors.Originality/value – The decomposition of the mechanical strain and the magnetic induction into a reversible and an irreversible part. The reversible part is described by the linear magnetostrictive constitutive equations, whe...