Analytical and FEM magnetic optimization of a limited motion actuator for automotive application

The present work proposes a development of a limited motion actuator dedicated to the air flow regulation of an internal combustion engine. A mixed analytical-FEM optimal design methodology is presented. An analytical study of a bipolar permanent magnet actuator has been done with a first geometrical optimization under constraint by a Genetic Algorithm. Then, the analytical study is coupled with Matlab® and FEMM freeware in order to integrate a finite element method and a second optimization with a Direct Search Algorithm. The actuator performance is specified for a small volume with a maximized torque on an angular range from 0 to 100°.