Sizing relations for an electromagnetic cantilever microactuator

This paper is concerned with the analytic solution, in the order of magnitude sense, of the mathematical models that describes the electokinetic and magnetic fields within an electromagnetic microactuator of cantilever type. The nondimensional form of the mathematical model is derived. To this aim, reference quantities are identified. Then the physical quantities and the mathematical model are scaled. It is assumed that the media are linear, and superposition is used to separate interacting magnetic fields produced by the permanent magnets and the electrical current carrying coil. This approach provides for simple, “back of an envelope” sizing relations that are useful in the first stages of design.