Optimization of inductor for pre- and post-heating metal parts during their edge laser welding

The shape of an inductor for pre-heating and/or post-heating metal parts is optimized with the aim to reach the prescribed pattern of temperature along the place to be consequently welded by laser beam. The task represents a nonlinear inverse multi-parametric problem that is solved for a given range of field current frequencies. While the direct part of the problem is solved by a fully adaptive higher-order finite element method using own code, the inverse part is solved by selected genetic algorithms. Tested is also the influence of frequency of the field current. The methodology is illustrated with a typical example.