The presented paper proposes a topology optimisation methodology based on the density-based method SIMP, and applied to a numerical example to validate the former. The approach and methodology are detailed, and the results for a 3D basic electromagnetic example are presented. The non-linear B(H) curve is also taken into account.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology to seek the optimal topology of electromagnetic devices using the density method while taking into account the non-linear behaviour of ferromagnetic materials. The tools and methods used are detailed and applied to a three-dimensional (3D) electromagnet for analysis and validation. Resulting topologies with and without the non-linear behaviour are investigated. Design/methodology/approach The polynomial mapping is used with the density method for material distribution in the optimisation domain. To consider the non-linear behaviour of the materials, an analytical approximation based on the Marrocco equation is used and combined with the polynomial mapping to solve the problem. Furthermore, to prevent the occurrence of intermediate materials, a weighted sum of objectives is used in the optimisation problem to eliminate these undesired materials. Findings Taking into account the non-linear materials behaviour and 3D model during topology optimisation (TO) is important, as it produces more physically feasible and coherent results. Moreover, the use of a weighted sum of objectives to eliminate intermediate materials increases the number of evaluations to reach the final solution, but it is efficient. Practical implications Considering non-linear materials behaviour yields results closer to reality, and physical feasibility of structures is more obvious in absence of intermediate materials. Originality/value This work tackles an obstacle of TO in electromagnetism which is often overlooked in literature, that is, non-linear behaviour of ferromagnetic materials by proposing a methodology.

The purpose of this paper is to optimize the topology of the rotor head in a Salient Pole Synchronous Generator to maximize the magnetic flux in the stator yoke and in the air gap. The generator is modelled using FE method, and the ON-OFF method is used to manage the optimization domain. Genetic Algorithm is used to find the optimal solution for the problem. The resulting topology and convergence graphs are also presented, and the results are discussed.

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