Electromagnet design allowing explicit and simultaneous control of minimum wire spacing and field uniformity

An adaptive algorithm is presented that works to independently and explicitly control both local power deposition and magnetic field uniformity in a robust, automated manner. The only inputs to the algorithm are the minimum allowable wire spacing, the maximum allowable field error, and the geometry over which to produce the coil. To highlight the function of the algorithm, two examples are investigated: a transverse gradient coil insert, designed for imaging the head and neck; and a highly uniform, low‐power, B0 field coil. Both examples require highly optimized relative weighting between power dissipation and field uniformity. The algorithm is described and implemented in terms of the boundary element method for coil design. The algorithm is shown to produce acceptable designs; conforming to engineering constraints, for both instances within a matter of minutes.