Design of electromagnetic actuators using optimizing material distribution methods

This paper deals with the design of electromagnetic actuators via topology optimization methods. It focuses on the development of an optimizing material distribution tool based on a genetic algorithm, the NSGA-II. The originality of this tool is to use a material distribution formalism based on Voronoi cells and to allow not only the material, but also the number and position of these cells to be parameters of the optimization. The application of the method to two practical cases, a linear actuator and a ferrofluid-based micropump, reflects the interest and the potentialities of the method in general, and of the distribution formalism particularly. Some experimental results also confirm the quality of the solutions produced by the design tool.