Optimization of electrode shape using the boundary element method

The authors describe an automatic procedure for applying optimization in axisymmetric field problems solved using boundary-element analysis. The procedure has inherently high potential accuracy. The method can also be used in three-dimensional fields. The purpose of the optimization is to minimize the maximum field intensity on the surface of the electrode, thereby reducing the possibility of breakdown in high-voltage apparatus. For the interface of two kinds of media, the purpose of optimization is to minimize the tangential component of the field intensity on the interface, since it is much easier to break down in the tangential direction than in the normal direction on a surface in high-voltage electric fields. The method can also be applied to minimization of the maximum normal component, if required. The method can be used to solve the inverse problem; that is, if some kind of field intensity distribution along an electrode is needed, the corresponding electrode shape can be obtained by using this method. Two optimization examples are presented