DESIGN OPTIMIZATION

Maximizing or minimizing some function relative to some set, often

representing a range of choices available in a certain situation

 Introduction to Optimization
Problem Formulation
Optimization Algorithm
Applications
Examples
Different Optimization Methods

 Optimization algorithms are becoming popular in multi engineering design activities

The main reason for this is availability of high speed computers
Optimization algorithms are routinely used in aero space application in order to
minimize overall weight

Chemical engineers on the other hand use this for optimum rate of production
Mechanical engineers use optimization for minimizing operating cost or maximizing
life of the component
Production engineer uses optimization of machining in order to reduce ideal time

Civil engineers use optimization for minimizing overall cost or maximizing the safety

In the above examples it is absorved that it is either minimization or

maximization of an objective

PROBLEM FORMULATION

DESIGN VARIABLES
Formulation of an optimization problem begins with identification of design
variables
The highly sensitive design parameters of a design problem is called design
variables

The choice of design variables depends on user

How ever the speed of optimization algorithm depends on design variables
Thus the efficiency of the optimization algorithm depends on selectively
choosing the design variables

The first thumb rule of formulation of optimization problem is choose as few

design variables as possible

EXAMPLE
Design a thin walled tray with minimal material
Need for optimization- minimize material of the tray
Design variables- w, l, h

CONSTRAINTS
Constraints represent some functional relation between design variables and
other design parameters satisfying certain physical phenomenon and
certain resource limitations
The nature of number of constraints to be included depend on the user
In most of the cases there are two kinds of constraints exists inequality type
and equality type
Example the stresses developed by the load should be equal to or less than
the allowable strength
Equality constraints are more difficult to handle and there for need to avoid
if possible
The second thumb rule of the formulation of optimization problem is the
number of complex equality constraints should be kept as low as possible

OBJECTIVE FUNCTION
All the engineering problems involves minimizing or maximizing some function
relative to some set
Although most of the objective functions are quantified [ expressed in mathematical
form] there are some objectives that are not quantified easily
Example ride characteristics of car suspension system
Usually in these cases the approximate mathematical expressions are used because
the exact relation for ride characteristics cannot be defined
In an optimization problem there can be one or more objective functions
Multi objective problems are complex and the computation is expensive
Try to avoid multi objective functions by choosing most appropriate one out of them
Thus rest of the objective functions can be included in to constraints

For example consider a truss in which the designer is interested in minimizing

the overall weight and minimizing the deflection.
This is a multi objective function
This can solved by taking most important one as the objective function and
the other as constraint
Like we can take minimizing the weight of the truss as objective function and
deflection at the specified point should be less than or equal to certain limit

VARIABLE BOUNDS

CLASSIFICATION OF OPTIMIZATION
PROBLEM
Classification based on existence of constraints
Classification based on nature of design variables
Classification based on the physical structure of the problem
Classification based on the nature of equations involved
Classification based on the permissible values of the decision variables
Classification based on the deterministic nature of the variables
Classification based on the separability of the functions

Classification based on the number of objective functions

Classification based on existence of constraints

Constrained optimization subjected to one or more constraints
Unconstrained optimization no constraints

Classification based on nature of design variables

In the first category the objective is to find a set of design parameters that
makes a prescribed function of these parameters minimum or maximum
subject to certain constraints

Example:

Minimize f(X) = h(b,d)

Subject to the constraints

s (x )

m ax

b0; d0

 In the second category of problems, the objective is to find a set of design

parameters, which are all continuous functions of some other parameter
that minimizes an objective function subject to a set of constraints
Example

minimize f(x) = g(b(t), d(t))

subjected to constraints

s (x )

m ax

0tl

b0

0tl

d0

0tl

Classification based on the physical structure of the problem

Optimal control problems
An optimal control (OC) problem is a mathematical programming problem involving a number of stages, where each
stage evolves from the preceding stage in a prescribed manner.

It is defined by two types of variables: the control or design and state variables.
The control variables define the system and controls how one stage evolves into the next.
The state variables describe the behavior or status of the system at any stage.
The problem is to find a set of control variables such that the total objective function (also known as the performance
index, PI) over all stages is minimized, subject to a set of constraints on the control and state variables.
Problems which are not optimal control problems are called non-optimal control
problems.

Classification based on the nature of equations involved

Linear programming problem
If the objective function and all the constraints are linear functions of the design variables, the
optimization problem is called a linear programming problem
Nonlinear programming problem
If any of the functions among the objectives and constraint functions is nonlinear, the problem is called a
nonlinear programming (NLP) problem. This is the most general form of a programming problem and all
other problems can be considered as special cases of the NLP problem.
Geometric programming problem
A geometric programming (GMP) problem is one in which the objective function and constraints are
expressed as polynomials
h( X ) c1 x1a11 x 2a21 x nan1 c 2 x1a12 x 2a22 x nan 2 c m x1a1m x 2a2 m x nanm

 Quadratic programming problem

A quadratic programming problem is the best behaved nonlinear programming problem with a quadratic
objective function and linear constraints and is concave (for maximization problems). It can be solved by
suitably modifying the linear programming techniques.

Classification based on the permissible values of the decision variables

Integer programming problem
If some or all of the design variables of an optimization problem are restricted to take only integer values,
the problem is called an integer programming problem

Real-valued programming problem

A real-valued problem is that in which it is sought to minimize or maximize a real function by systematically
choosing the values of real variables from within an allowed set