Finite element analysis driven optimization of an electrodynamic levitation system with permanent magnet Halbach arrays

This study presents a finite element analysis (FEA)-driven optimization for the design of an electrodynamic levitation (EDL) system incorporating permanent magnet Halbach arrays (PM-HAs). The primary objective is to maximize the net force difference between lift ( F y ) and drag ( F x ) forces under realistic physical and manufacturing constraints. The nonlinear electromagnetic behavior of the EDL system is modeled using high-fidelity FEA, capturing the complex interaction between the PM-HA and a conductive plate. At each iteration of the population-based optimization algorithm, full magnetoquasistatic simulations are performed to ensure a physically accurate evaluation of key performance metrics. A comprehensive parametric study involving 256 distinct PM-HA configurations reveals a non-monotonic relationship between the number of magnets and levitation performance, highlighting the critical role of magnetic field distribution. Configurations with 9 to 11 magnets achieve the highest net levitation force. The optimization results indicate that the optimal configuration includes four horizontally aligned permanent magnets (PMs) with a width of 74.00 mm and three vertically aligned PMs with a width of 74.67 mm, along with a 7 mm thick conductive plate having a conductivity of 5 × 10 7 S/m. This design delivers a maximum lift force of 3550 N and a minimum drag force of 279 N at 100 m/s. The findings demonstrate that effective EDL system design requires a carefully arranged magnet configuration rather than a simple maximization of magnet count or size. The proposed FEA-guided framework offers a robust and scalable methodology for the optimization of high-performance Maglev systems.