Search results for "SIMULATION"
showing 10 items of 5095 documents
A Generalized Framework for Optimal Sizing of Distributed Energy Resources in Micro-Grids Using an Indicator-Based Swarm Approach
2014
In this paper, a generalized double-shell framework for the optimal design of systems managed optimally according to different criteria is developed. Optimal design is traditionally carried out by means of minimum capital and management cost formulations and does not typically consider optimized operation. In this paper, the optimized multiobjective management is explicitly considered into the design formulation. The quality of each design solution is indeed defined by the evaluation of operational costs and capital costs. Besides, the assessment of the operational costs term is deduced by means of the solution of a multiobjective optimization problem. Each design solution is evaluated usin…
Optimization of continuous elastic perfectly plastic beams
2004
Abstract The optimal design of elastic plastic beams subjected to loads quasi-statically variable within a given domain is studied. A minimum volume formulation and a maximum load multiplier formulation are developed, both expressed on the grounds of a statical as well as of a kinematical approach. The search problems are formulated according to three different limiting criteria acting simultaneously. For each criterion a corresponding selected safety factor is imposed. The Euler–Lagrange equations related to the above described problems are deduced. A special iterative technique devoted to the solution of the above referenced problems is proposed. Some numerical examples conclude the paper.
Multiobjective optimization of an ultrasonic transducer using NIMBUS
2005
The optimal design of an ultrasonic transducer is a multiobjective optimization problem since the final outcome needs to satisfy several conflicting criteria. Simulation tools are often used to avoid expensive and time-consuming experiments, but even simulations may be inefficient and lead to inadequate results if they are based only on trial and error. In this work, the interactive multiobjective optimization method NIMBUS is applied in designing a high-power ultrasonic transducer. The performance of the transducer is simulated with a finite element model, and three design goals are formulated as objective functions to be minimized. To find an appropriate compromise solution, additional pr…
Thermal buckling optimization of composite laminates by evolution strategies
2000
Abstract Thermal buckling optimization of laminated composite plates subject to a temperature rise is presented in this paper. Aerospace structures require such components that are able to withstand the external environment loads without loss of stability. The discrete optimal design problem, formulated under strain and ply contiguity constraints is solved using evolution strategies, a guided random-search method. Two different constraint handling methods are investigated and compared: the disregarding infeasible solutions and the classical penalty function approach. The results are also compared with an exact enumerative study conducted on the problem, showing the effectiveness and perform…
An original multi-objective criterion for the design of small-scale polygeneration systems based on realistic operating conditions
2008
The optimal design and operation of cogeneration and trigeneration systems for buildings applications is a complex issue, which has been investigated by several different approaches. Both the two basic management strategies, namely heat-tracking and electricity-tracking, have advantages and drawbacks in terms of operating results and may lead the plant designer either to undersize or oversize the CHP unit with respect to the optimal lay-out. Experimental works have demonstrated how the actual on-site performance of small-scale polygeneration systems significantly differs from their expected operation, due to the need for a regular plant operation and the effects of outages for scheduled or …
A double-shell design approach for multiobjective optimal design of microgrids
2010
This work develops a new double shell approach to optimal design for multi-objective optimally managed systems. The cost of each design solution can be defined by the evaluation of operational issues and capital costs. In most systems, the correct definition of operational issues can be deduced by means of the solution of a multi-objective optimization problem. The evaluation of each design solution must thus be deduced using the outcome of a multi-objective optimization run, namely a Pareto hyper-surface in the n-dimensional space of operational objectives. In the literature, the design problem is usually solved by considering a single objective formulation of the operational issue. In thi…
A generalized model of human body radiative heat exchanges for optimal design of indoor thermal comfort conditions
2018
Abstract Human thermal sensation depends heavily on radiative exchanges between the human body and the surrounding environment. Because these exchanges play a crucial role in the thermal balance of the human body, about 35% of the process, human thermal sensation should draw the attention of planners when designing both indoor environments and equipment. The present study aims to contribute to this field by proposing a procedure for delineating the optimal comfort conditions for occupants in most of the articulate and realistic configurations of actual indoor environments. Specifically, this procedure enables accurate assessment of the radiant field surrounding a subject in a given indoor r…
Guidance Provided by Teacher and Simulation for Inquiry-Based Learning: a Case Study
2016
Current research indicates that inquiry-based learning should be guided in order to achieve optimal learning outcomes. The need for guidance is even greater when simulations are used because of their high information content and the difficulty of extracting information from them. Previous research on guidance for learning with simulations has concentrated on guidance provided by the simulation. Little research has been done on the role of the teacher in guiding learners with inquiry-based activities using simulations. This descriptive study focuses on guidance provided during small group investigations; pre-service teachers (n = 8) guided third and fifth graders using a particular simulatio…
User bandwidth usage-driven HNN neuron excitation method for maximum resource utilization within packet-switched communication networks
2006
Mobile and wireless systems beyond 3G are being designed under the user-centric paradigm. Dynamic resource allocation (DRA) is a topic on intensive research to address efficiently such paradigm. Hopfield neural networks (HNN) have proved useful in the past to solve this kind of complex optimization problems. Recently, various approaches have been proposed to realize HNN-based user-centric DRA. However, the initial algorithms suffer from severe instability problems impacting the overall performance. This letter analyses the source of the existing limitations and proposes an enhanced formulation, ensuring maximum resource utilization while optimizing the convergence of the neural network. The…
Traffic simulation models calibration using speed–density relationship: An automated procedure based on genetic algorithm
2016
Calibration of traffic models.Calibration as optimization problem.Use of genetic algorithm. This paper presents the first results of a research which applied a genetic algorithm to calibrate a microscopic traffic simulation model based on speed-density relationships. A large set of traffic data collected from the A22 Freeway, Italy, was used and a comparison was performed between the field measurements and the simulation outputs obtained for a test freeway segment by using the Aimsun microscopic simulator.The calibration was formulated as an optimization problem to be solved based on a genetic algorithm; the objective function was defined in order to minimize the differences between the sim…