Finite Element Analysis in The Investigation of Methods to Model AC Resistance in A Coated Conductor

Abstract

In our electricity dependent and rapidly automated society, the manipulation and usage of electricity to transmit energy is of significant prevalence. In particular, the application of current in high frequency transformers, inductors and motor generators presents a unique efficiency problem: The loss of energy through the spiking of effective resistance intrinsically related to the skin and proximity effects of an AC current. By the usage of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in the simulative investigation of various variables on AC resistance, this paper seeks to provide insights into how coated conductors might offer advantages over the standard conductor in certain conditions, thus guiding future design and application in high-efficiency electronics. The papers findings reveal that adding a layer of coating with a lower conductivity than the core material could offer reduced energy losses up to the point when the skin depth matches the coating’s thickness. Moreover, the study explored the influence of the coating’s conductivity, suggesting that an increased conductivity of the coating material could further minimize copper losses, albeit with the trade-off of potentially higher costs. The study concludes with a Taylor Series approximation of the relationship between AC resistance and frequency using simulative data.