Improved dynamical particle swarm optimization method for structural dynamics

A methodology to the multiobjective structural design of buildings based on an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is presented, which has proved to be very efficient and robust in nonlinear problems and when the optimization objectives are in conflict. In particular, the behaviour of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) classical algorithm is improved by dynamically adding autoadaptive mechanisms that enhance the exploration/exploitation trade-off and diversity of the proposed algorithm, avoiding getting trapped in local minima. A novel integrated optimization system was developed, called DI-PSO, to solve this problem which is able to control and even improve the structural behaviour under seismic excitations. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, the methodology is tested against some benchmark problems. Then a 3-story-building model is optimized under different objective cases, concluding that the improved multiobjective optimization methodology using DI-PSO is more efficient as compared with those designs obtained using single optimization.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Radar Target Classification Using an Evolutionary Extreme Learning Machine Based on Improved Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization

A novel evolutionary extreme learning machine (ELM) based on improved quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (IQPSO) for radar target classification is presented in this paper. Quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) has been used in ELM to solve the problem that ELM needs more hidden nodes than conventional tuning-based learning algorithms due to the random set of input weights and hidden biases. But the method for calculating the characteristic length of Delta potential well of QPSO may reduce the global search ability of the algorithm. To solve this issue, a new method to calculate the characteristic length of Delta potential well is proposed in this paper. Experimental results based on the benchmark functions validate the better performance of IQPSO against QPSO in most cases. The novel algorithm is also evaluated by using real-world datasets and radar data; the experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm is more effective than BP, SVM, ELM, QPSO-ELM, and so on, in terms of real-time performance and accuracy

The Development of a Hybrid Optimization Algorithm for the Evaluation and Optimization of the Asynchronous Pulse Unit

The effectiveness of an optimization algorithm can be reduced to its ability to navigate an objective function’s topology. Hybrid optimization algorithms combine various optimization algorithms using a single meta-heuristic so that the hybrid algorithm is more robust, computationally efficient, and/or accurate than the individual algorithms it is made of. This thesis proposes a novel meta-heuristic that uses search vectors to select the constituent algorithm that is appropriate for a given objective function. The hybrid is shown to perform competitively against several existing hybrid and non-hybrid optimization algorithms over a set of three hundred test cases. This thesis also proposes a general framework for evaluating the effectiveness of hybrid optimization algorithms. Finally, this thesis presents an improved Method of Characteristics Code with novel boundary conditions, which better characterizes pipelines than previous codes. This code is coupled with the hybrid optimization algorithm in order to optimize the operation of real-world piston pumps