Multi-objective optimization and parameter uncertainty in the design of low frequency electromagnetic devices and systems

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Low frequency electromagnetic systems (electric motors and generators, sensors, actuators, etc.) are vital to the functioning of modern society. In fact, it is estimated that an average family owns several hundred of these devices distributed between entertainment systems, computing devices, domestic appliances, automobiles, etc. They are a major users of energy (both in their manufacture and use) and raw materials and, as such, it is important that designers of such systems are provided with computer based simulation tools which can both accurately predict the performance of a given device and search for a particular device which can provide the best performance, while increasing the energy efficiency and reducing production costs. To provide a physically accurate model of a real electric motor, for example, requires that the interactions between electromagnetic, thermal, structural and mechanical effects are taken into account. To improve efficiency requires an effective search of all the possible designs and an examination of the various design decisions which can be made. To reduce the cost of construction requires a model which can take into account variances in manufacturing such as errors in dimensions and changes in material properties. The goal of the work being proposed here is to create the components which will allow such a simulation and design process to be implemented. The algorithms and software architectures being developed will be targeted at the new computer architectures which are becoming prevalent on an engineer's desktop or laptop computer, i.e. a multi-core processor with a large memory and massive disks. This architecture provides a new simulation environment where many of the assumptions made in existing analysis packages may no longer hold. If successful, the results of the research being proposed will reduce current design times, which run into days and weeks of computer effort, to a few hours and will mean that the first physical prototype built will be the only one needed. It is expected that the work funded by this grant will result in the training of at least four Ph.D. and three Master's students.