In an increasingly competitive world, efficiently achieved optimal design is important for the competitiveness of European industry. EPOCH is a design optimization environment for products that operate with electromagnetic fields. Tests have demonstrated its success with video recording heads, cathode ray tubes, microwave ovens, eddy current brakes, high-performance magnets and motors.
Underlying the design optimization environment is a suite of commercially proven electromagnetic design software to which the necessary tools for design optimization were added. Such tools include an optimization manager, a suite of optimization methods, Experimental Design, as well as 2D/3D geometric and variational modelling facilities.
Employing parallel-computing algorithms in computationally intensive parts, using the Bulk Synchronous Parallel (BSP) method, ensured the portability and performance of the environment.
Using BSP, a model for the parallel algorithm is included which enables the optimization manager to choose the appropriate number of processors for the particular problem to be addressed.
Project URL : http://www.comlab.ox.ac.uk/oucl/oxpara/epoch/home.htm