Case Study: Kato Engineering achieves faster, more accurate generator development with ANSYS Emag

Kato Engineering, Leroy Somer North America Kato Engineering, Leroy Somer North America Division of Emerson Industrial Automation

Kato Engineering, a Division of Emerson Industrial Automation, designs and manufactures precision AC generators and motor-generator sets. Faced with the challenge of predicting hard-to-estimate characteristics—most notably subtransient reactance, open-circuit saturation curves, and output voltage harmonic distortion—which are normally determined only by factory testing, Kato turned to ANSYS and the ANSYS Emag™ electromagnetic simulation tool.

ANSYS used ANSYS Emag to perform two-dimensional transient circuit-coupled electromagnetic analyses and developed APDL macros to model Kato’s four-pole generators, allowing evaluation of subtransient reactance, saturation behavior, and harmonic distortion early in the design cycle. As a result, ANSYS enabled Kato Engineering to accurately predict generator performance before building physical prototypes, speeding new-product development and reducing reliance on costly factory testing.