A fast genetic algorithm for solving architectural design optimization problems

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhouzhou Su ◽  
Wei Yan
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Computing Time ◽  
Divide And Conquer ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Building Performance Simulation ◽  
Simulation And Optimization

AbstractBuilding performance simulation and genetic algorithms are powerful techniques for helping designers make better design decisions in architectural design optimization. However, they are very time consuming and require a significant amount of computing power. More time is needed when two techniques work together. This has become the primary impediment in applying design optimization to real-world projects. This study focuses on reducing the computing time in genetic algorithms when building simulation techniques are involved. In this study, we combine two techniques (offline simulation and divide and conquer) to effectively improve the run time in these architectural design optimization problems, utilizing architecture-specific domain knowledge. The improved methods are evaluated with a case study of a nursing unit design to minimize the nurses’ travel distance and maximize daylighting performance in patient rooms. Results show the computing time can be saved significantly during the simulation and optimization process.

scholarly journals Recent Design Optimization Methods for Energy-Efficient Electric Motors and Derived Requirements for a New Improved Method—Part 1

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (22) ◽  
pp. 1400
Author(s):  
Johannes Schmelcher ◽  
Max Kleine Büning ◽  
Kai Kreisköther ◽  
Dieter Gerling ◽  
Achim Kampker
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Computing Time ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Electric Motors ◽  
Electric Cars

Energy-efficient electric motors are gathering an increased attention since they are used in electric cars or to reduce operational costs, for instance. Due to their high efficiency, permanent-magnet synchronous motors are used progressively more. However, the need to use rare-earth magnets for such high-efficiency motors is problematic not only in regard to the cost but also in socio-political and environmental aspects. Therefore, an increasing effort has to be put in finding the best design possible. The goals to achieve are, among others, to reduce the amount of rare-earth magnet material but also to increase the efficiency. In the first part of this multipart paper, characteristics of optimization problems in engineering and general methods to solve them are presented. In part two, different approaches to the design optimization problem of electric motors are highlighted. The last part will evaluate the different categories of optimization methods with respect to the criteria: degrees of freedom, computing time and the required user experience. As will be seen, there is a conflict of objectives regarding the criteria mentioned above. Requirements, which a new optimization method has to fulfil in order to solve the conflict of objectives will be presented in this last paper.

A rank-based constraint handling technique for engineering design optimization problems solved by genetic algorithms

2017 ◽  
Vol 187 ◽  
pp. 77-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael de Paula Garcia ◽  
Beatriz Souza Leite Pires de Lima ◽  
Afonso Celso de Castro Lemonge ◽  
Breno Pinheiro Jacob
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Constraint Handling ◽  
Engineering Design Optimization ◽  
Handling Technique

Reliability-based design optimization for vertical vibrations of a modified electric vehicle using fourth-moment polynomial standard transformation method

2020 ◽  
Vol 234 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 2649-2664
Author(s):  
Sheng Wang ◽  
Lin Hua ◽  
Xinghui Han ◽  
Zhuoyu Su
Keyword(s):  
Design Optimization ◽  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Computing Time ◽  
Optimization Procedure ◽  
Transformation Method ◽  
Vertical Vibration ◽  
Fourth Moment ◽  
Reliability Based Design Optimization ◽  
Reliability Based Design

This article presents a new reliability-based design optimization procedure for the vertical vibration issues raised by a modified electric vehicle using fourth-moment polynomial standard transformation method. First, the fourth-moment polynomial standard transformation method with polynomial chaos expansion is used to obtain the reliability index of uncertain constraints in the reliability-based design optimization which is highly precise and saves computing time compared with other common methods. Next, the half-car model with nonlinear suspension parameters for the modified electric vehicle is investigated, and the response surface methodology is adopted to approximate the complex and time-consuming vertical vibration calculation to the polynomial expressions, and the approximation is validated for reliability-based design optimization results within permissible error level. Then, reliability-based design optimization results under both deterministic and uncertain load parameters are shown and analyzed. Unlike the traditional vertical vibration optimization that only considers one or several sets of load parameters, which lacks versatility, this article presents the reliability-based design optimization with uncertain load parameters which is more suitable for engineering. The results show that the proposed reliability-based design optimization procedure is an effective and efficient way to solve vertical vibration optimization problems for the modified electric vehicle, and the optimization statistics, including the maximum probability interval, can provide references for other suspension dynamical optimization.

scholarly journals Genetic evolution vs. function approximation: Benchmarking algorithms for architectural design optimization

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Wortmann
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Parametric Design ◽  
Fitness Landscape ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Black Box ◽  
Direct Search ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Simulation Based

Abstract This article presents benchmark results from seven simulation-based problems from structural, building energy, and daylight optimization. Growing applications of parametric design and performance simulations in architecture, engineering, and construction allow the harnessing of simulation-based, or black-box, optimization in the search for less resource- and/or energy consuming designs. In architectural design optimization (ADO) practice and research, the most commonly applied black-box algorithms are genetic algorithms or other metaheuristics, to the neglect of more current, global direct search or model-based, methods. Model-based methods construct a surrogate model (i.e., an approximation of a fitness landscape) that they refine during the optimization process. This benchmark compares metaheuristic, direct search, and model-based methods, and concludes that, for the given evaluation budget and problems, the model-based method (RBFOpt) is the most efficient and robust, while the tested genetic algorithms perform poorly. As such, this article challenges the popularity of genetic algorithms in ADO, as well as the practice of using them for one-to-one comparisons to justify algorithmic innovations. Highlights Benchmarks optimization algorithms on structural, energy, and daylighting problems. Benchmarks metaheuristic, direct search, and model-based optimization methods. Challenges the popularity of genetic algorithms in architectural design optimization. Presents model-based methods as a more efficient and reliable alternative.

scholarly journals Redundant binary codes in genetic algorithms: multi-objective design optimization of water distribution networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiku T. Tanyimboh
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Distribution Networks ◽  
Water Distribution Networks ◽  
Binary Codes ◽  
Multi Objective ◽  
Binary Coding

Abstract Genetic algorithms have been shown to be highly effective for optimization problems in various disciplines, and binary coding is generally adopted as it is straightforward to implement and lends itself to problems with discrete-valued decision variables. However, a difficulty associated with binary coding is the existence of redundant codes that do not correspond to any element in the finite discrete set that the encoded parameter belongs to. A common technique used to address redundant binary codes is to discard the chromosomes in which they occur. Effective alternatives to the outright removal of redundant codes are lacking in the literature. This article presents illustrative examples based on the problem of optimizing the design of water distribution networks. Two benchmark networks in the literature and two different multi-objective design optimization models were considered. Different fixed mapping schemes gave significantly different solutions in the search space. The main inference from the results is that mapping schemes that improved diversity in the population of solutions achieved better results, which may pave the way for the development of practical and effective mapping schemes.

Advantages of surrogate models for architectural design optimization

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Wortmann ◽  
Alberto Costa ◽  
Giacomo Nannicini ◽  
Thomas Schroepfer
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Design Problem ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Surrogate Models ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Metaheuristic Methods ◽  
The Impact

AbstractClimate change, resource depletion, and worldwide urbanization feed the demand for more energy and resource-efficient buildings. Increasingly, architectural designers and consultants analyze building designs with easy-to-use simulation tools. To identify design alternatives with good performance, designers often turn to optimization methods. Randomized, metaheuristic methods such as genetic algorithms are popular in the architectural design field. However, are metaheuristics the best approach for architectural design problems that often are complex and ill defined? Metaheuristics may find solutions for well-defined problems, but they do not contribute to a better understanding of a complex design problem. This paper proposes surrogate-based optimization as a method that promotes understanding of the design problem. The surrogate method interpolates a mathematical model from data that relate design parameters to performance criteria. Designers can interact with this model to explore the approximate impact of changing design variables. We apply the radial basis function method, a specific type of surrogate model, to two architectural daylight optimization problems. These case studies, along with results from computational experiments, serve to discuss several advantages of surrogate models. First, surrogate models not only propose good solutions but also allow designers to address issues outside of the formulation of the optimization problem. Instead of accepting a solution presented by the optimization process, designers can improve their understanding of the design problem by interacting with the model. Second, a related advantage is that designers can quickly construct surrogate models from existing simulation results and other knowledge they might possess about the design problem. Designers can thus explore the impact of different evaluation criteria by constructing several models from the same set of data. They also can create models from approximate data and later refine them with more precise simulations. Third, surrogate-based methods typically find global optima orders of magnitude faster than genetic algorithms, especially when the evaluation of design variants requires time-intensive simulations.

EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT CACHING IN GENETIC ALGORITHMS

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (01n02) ◽  
pp. 273-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
EUNICE E. SANTOS ◽  
EUGENE SANTOS
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Formal Model ◽  
Solution Space ◽  
Divide And Conquer ◽  
Rigorous Analysis ◽  
Fitness Functions ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Randomized Methods ◽  
Discrete Optimization Problems

Hard discrete optimization problems using randomized methods such as genetic algorithms require large numbers of samples from the solution space. Each candidate sample/solution must be evaluated using the target fitness/energy function being optimized. Such fitness computations are a bottleneck in sampling methods such as genetic algorithms. We observe that the caching of partial results from these fitness computations can reduce this bottleneck. We provide a rigorous analysis of the run-times of GAs with and without caching. By representing fitness functions as classic Divide and Conquer algorithms, we provide a formal model to predict the efficiency of caching GAs vs. non-caching GAs. Finally, we explore the domain of protein folding with GAs and demonstrate that caching can significantly reduce expected run-times through both theoretical and extensive empirical analyses.

THE APPLICATION OF MULTIPLE-OBJECTIVE GENETIC ALGORITHMS FOR CONTROLLING SOUND QUALITY BY ARCHITECTURAL FORM DESIGN

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
CHAWEE BUSAYARAT
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Fitness Function ◽  
Sound Quality ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Architectural Form ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Sound Environment

Presently, the architectural design responding to the sound environment has become to play an important role in the design process. New technologies such as simulation and optimization models through a computer allow us to discover the possibility of shapes, forms, and materials that respond to a specific condition of the acoustic environment. However, due to the complexity of variables, we have to face the difficulty of how to evaluate the calculated result. How should one know if the said design is suitable successful for the activities in that area? One of the solutions is using the genetic algorithm, which refers to the scenario simulation and adjustment to find the most suitable model. It provides the possibility of shape and materials to be the best result to design the architecture responding to the sound environment. The objective of this research is to propose a guideline for using genetic algorithms for architectural design by using sound quality as the Fitness function to find the best results terms of shape and material used. The proposed process takes reverberation time of sound and audio ray-tracing into consideration. The result of this research shows applications, abilities, and limitations of genetic algorithms in the domain of architectural parametric design.

A Comprehensive Investigation of Ensembles of Gaussian-Based and Gradient-Based Transformed Reliability Analyses: When and How to Use Them

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po Ting Lin ◽  
Wei-Hao Lu ◽  
Shu-Ping Lin
Keyword(s):  
Design Optimization ◽  
Design Space ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Nonlinear Problems ◽  
Kernel Functions ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Normal Space ◽  
Highly Nonlinear ◽  
Standard Normal ◽  
Gradient Based

In the past few years, researchers have begun to investigate the existence of arbitrary uncertainties in the design optimization problems. Most traditional reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) methods transform the design space to the standard normal space for reliability analysis but may not work well when the random variables are arbitrarily distributed. It is because that the transformation to the standard normal space cannot be determined or the distribution type is unknown. The methods of Ensemble of Gaussian-based Reliability Analyses (EoGRA) and Ensemble of Gradient-based Transformed Reliability Analyses (EGTRA) have been developed to estimate the joint probability density function using the ensemble of kernel functions. EoGRA performs a series of Gaussian-based kernel reliability analyses and merged them together to compute the reliability of the design point. EGTRA transforms the design space to the single-variate design space toward the constraint gradient, where the kernel reliability analyses become much less costly. In this paper, a series of comprehensive investigations were performed to study the similarities and differences between EoGRA and EGTRA. The results showed that EGTRA performs accurate and effective reliability analyses for both linear and nonlinear problems. When the constraints are highly nonlinear, EGTRA may have little problem but still can be effective in terms of starting from deterministic optimal points. On the other hands, the sensitivity analyses of EoGRA may be ineffective when the random distribution is completely inside the feasible space or infeasible space. However, EoGRA can find acceptable design points when starting from deterministic optimal points. Moreover, EoGRA is capable of delivering estimated failure probability of each constraint during the optimization processes, which may be convenient for some applications.

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