Solenoid Simulation Software

Solenoid Simulation. Magnetic Field, Force & Coupled-Physics FEA

Simulate solenoid force, magnetic field distribution, and pull-in dynamics for valves, actuators, and bistable designs — coupled with fluid and structural physics, on an AI-native cloud platform.

Solenoid simulation software
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Accurate solenoid simulation traditionally requires specialist EM FEA software, hardware, and expertise, making iteration slow and costly.SimScale opens it to any design engineer. Run parametric sweeps across geometry variants and operating conditions in parallel. Reach sign-off in days, not weeks.

Why SimScale for Solenoid Simulation

CFD for Rotating Machinery

Multiphysics Electromagnetic, fluid, and structural in platform

Couple magnetic force to motion and fluid pressure for solenoid valves. No file export. No second tool.

Finite Element Analysis for Rotating Machinery

Engineering AI

Get more from your engineering expertise. SimScale's Engineering AI handles the mechanics of simulation setup — meshing, boundary condition configuration, solver tuning — so engineering time goes into interpreting results and making design decisions rather than managing software. Sophisticated multiphysics workflows that would previously require dedicated CAE resource can be orchestrated by the design team directly, compressing the feedback loop between simulation insight and design iteration.

cloud native vibration simulation software

Cloud-native scale

Cloud-scale compute that turns parametric studies from a bottleneck into a differentiator. On local hardware, a force-stroke sweep or geometry optimisation study means queuing runs sequentially and waiting. On SimScale, every variant runs simultaneously on cloud infrastructure — so a study that would take a week on a workstation completes in hours. Scale up or down on demand, with no hardware investment and no licence ceiling.

Fluid Flow Simulation through a solenoid valve

Solenoid Valve Force and Flow

Electromagnetic force, valve motion, and fluid pressure — coupled in a single workflow. Solenoid valve performance depends on the interaction between the magnetic force on the armature, the mechanical response of the plunger, and the resulting fluid pressure downstream. SimScale couples all three without requiring geometry to be exported between tools, so you can characterise pull-in, hold, and release dynamics alongside the downstream pressure response in one study.

results of an electromagnetic simulation of a solenoid on the effects on the plunger

Magnetic Field Distribution

Visualise magnetic flux density across every component in the assembly. SimScale post-processing shows the full flux density distribution across coil windings, ferromagnetic core, and the critical air gap between armature and pole face. This makes it straightforward to identify regions of magnetic saturation, diagnose leakage flux that reduces pull force, and detect field asymmetries that could affect switching consistency.

Force-Stroke Curve Generation

The fundamental performance characterisation of any solenoid, delivered faster with Physics AI. Producing a force-stroke curve traditionally means running a long sequence of individual magnetostatic analyses at each armature position. SimScale's Physics AI compresses this significantly, sweeping positions and excitation levels in parallel and assembling results into a comparative dashboard — so teams can evaluate geometry variants side-by-side and iterate on coil geometry or air gap dimensions before committing to hardware.

pushing solenoid

Bistable and Latching Solenoid Design

Balance permanent magnet flux, coil geometry, and air gap for reliable switching in both directions. Bistable solenoids must hold position in both states without continuous power — a design challenge requiring careful co-optimisation of magnet strength, coil geometry, and air gap. SimScale lets you model both stable positions in the same study, quantify holding force at each, and evaluate the energy required to switch states.

Thermal coupling simulation in SimScale

Coil Thermal Coupling

Understand how heat affects force output under real operating conditions. Copper winding resistance increases with temperature, directly affecting current draw and the magnetic force a solenoid can generate under sustained operation. SimScale's coupled electromagnetic-thermal analysis maps Joule heating in the coil as a heat source through the surrounding geometry, giving an accurate picture of steady-state operating temperature and the resulting force derating.

Electromagnetic simulation of a solenoid design

Automotive Transmission and Active Suspension

Optimise pressure-regulating solenoids for the most demanding production volumes. Automotive transmission solenoids operate under high cycling rates, elevated temperatures, and precise pressure regulation requirements across the full range of gear ratios and torque demands. SimScale supports full electromagnetic-CFD coupling for pressure-regulating valve development — covering solenoid force characteristic, spool or ball valve motion, and downstream pressure output — with the same workflow applicable to active suspension and CVT applications.

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FAQs

New to CFD or evaluating SimScale? Here are the questions we hear most.

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Can SimScale simulate both magnetostatic and time-harmonic electromagnetic problems for solenoids?

Yes. SimScale supports magnetostatics for steady-state force and flux-density analysis, and time-harmonic magnetics for AC-excited coils and eddy-current effects. Both are accessible from the same browser-based interface with no additional license required.

How does SimScale handle coupled electromagnetic-fluid simulation for solenoid valves?

SimScale's AI-native multiphysics platform couples electromagnetic FEA, structural motion, and CFD in a single workflow. You can model the magnetic force on the armature, the resulting valve motion, and the downstream fluid pressure response — without exporting geometry between tools.

Can I sweep multiple solenoid geometries or excitation levels in parallel?

Yes. SimScale runs all simulation variants simultaneously in the cloud. A force-stroke sweep across multiple armature positions or current levels runs in parallel, so a study that would take days sequentially completes in hours.

What mesh types does SimScale use for electromagnetic solenoid simulations?

SimScale uses an automatic tetrahedral mesher optimised for electromagnetic analysis, with refinements around air gaps, coil windings, and core surfaces. Engineering AI-powered mesh generation reduces setup time for complex solenoid geometries significantly.

How do I get started with solenoid simulation on SimScale?

The fastest way is to follow the linear pushing solenoid tutorial, which walks through geometry import, electromagnetic setup, meshing, and post-processing in SimScale. You can also sign up free and use one of the public solenoid templates directly.

Start Simulating Solenoid Performance in the Cloud

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