3-D magnetic field and vector potential calculations using the Boundary Element Method

Summary form only given. We have successfully developed a generalized-geometry Boundary Element Method (BEM) technique for calculating vacuum magnetic fields and vector potentials in three dimensions by solving the boundary integral equations associated with the vector Laplace equation for fields or potentials. The technique is similar to an earlier technique that demonstrated solution of 3-D magnetostatic magnetic vector potentials, but significantly extends the capability. The primary advantages of the chosen approach are the reduction of the dimensionality of the problem from three to two dimensions, and the avoidance of wasteful computation of fields and potentials away from conductor surfaces of interest. The resulting code can either be employed stand alone, for design purposes, or in combination with existing magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) or static magnetic diffusion codes based on finite-difference, finite-volume, finite- element, or even time-domain BEM techniques. In this paper we describe the technique and show representative computational results for sample three-dimensional benchmark problems.