Design and Optimization of a Voice Coil Actuator for Precision Motion Applications

There has been increasing attention to the use of voice coil actuators (VCAs) for precision motion applications. In this paper, a detailed design of a cylindrical VCA is presented. Different options for the overall configuration are evaluated according to various criteria and design variables are defined for the chosen configuration. After that, optimization parameters are derived to maximize the performance in a precision motion application by maximizing the acceleration and minimizing the heat dissipation. Design parameters are optimized using finite element analysis to evaluate the magnetic properties. Optimization is carried out using the bulk volume of coil, which allowed electrical properties to be later characterized via the selection of wire gauge. Calculations for evaluating resistance, inductance, current drain, and voltage supply requirements for dc and dynamic cases are presented. Magnetic field predictions and formulations used in force calculations are verified in experiments.

在精密运动应用中，音圈致动器（VCA）的使用受到了越来越多的关注。本文详细介绍了一种圆柱形VCA的设计。根据各种标准对整体配置的不同方案进行了评估，并为所选配置定义了设计变量。之后，通过最大化加速度和最小化散热来推导优化参数，以在精密运动应用中实现性能最大化。利用有限元分析对设计参数进行优化以评估磁性能。优化是利用线圈的总体积进行的，这使得之后能够通过选择线规来表征电性能。给出了用于评估直流和动态情况下的电阻、电感、电流消耗以及电压供应要求的计算。磁场预测以及用于力计算的公式在实验中得到了验证。