Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a virtual testbed capable of predicting the functional performance of a linear electromagnetic actuator for a high voltage relay in order to reduce its development costs and time. The virtual testbed is defined by a multiphysics coupling approach in order to consider the complex interactions of multi-domains such as the solenoid model of electromagnets, the mass-spring-damper model of mechanical systems, the electric circuit model for an external control unit, and the thermal model for predicting temperature variations. The performances of the existing high voltage relay were estimated by the virtual testbed, and then the effectiveness and validation of the proposed testbed were discussed in comparison with the experimental test results. This study showed that the virtual testbed can be applied in design, optimization, and investigation of high voltage relays.