State-of-the-art in aerodynamic shape optimisation methods

Aerodynamic optimisation has become an indispensable component for any aerodynamic design over the past 60 years, with applications to aircraft, cars, trains, bridges, wind turbines, internal pipe flows, and cavities, among others, and is thus relevant in many facets of technology. With advancements in computational power, automated design optimisation procedures have become more competent, however, there is an ambiguity and bias throughout the literature with regards to relative performance of optimisation architectures and employed algorithms. This paper provides a well-balanced critical review of the dominant optimisation approaches that have been integrated with aerodynamic theory for the purpose of shape optimisation. A total of 229 papers, published in more than 120 journals and conference proceedings, have been classified into 6 different optimisation algorithm approaches. The material cited includes some of the most well-established authors and publications in the field of aerodynamic optimisation. This paper aims to eliminate bias toward certain algorithms by analysing the limitations, drawbacks, and the benefits of the most utilised optimisation approaches. This review provides comprehensive but straightforward insight for non-specialists and reference detailing the current state for specialist practitioners

The hardware implementation of an artificial neural network using stochastic pulse rate encoding principles

In this thesis the development of a hardware artificial neuron device and artificial neural network using stochastic pulse rate encoding principles is considered. After a review of neural network architectures and algorithmic approaches suitable for hardware implementation, a critical review of hardware techniques which have been considered in analogue and digital systems is presented. New results are presented demonstrating the potential of two learning schemes which adapt by the use of a single reinforcement signal. The techniques for computation using stochastic pulse rate encoding are presented and extended with new novel circuits relevant to the hardware implementation of an artificial neural network. The generation of random numbers is the key to the encoding of data into the stochastic pulse rate domain. The formation of random numbers and multiple random bit sequences from a single PRBS generator have been investigated. Two techniques, Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithms, have been applied successfully to the problem of optimising the configuration of a PRBS random number generator for the formation of multiple random bit sequences and hence random numbers. A complete hardware design for an artificial neuron using stochastic pulse rate encoded signals has been described, designed, simulated, fabricated and tested before configuration of the device into a network to perform simple test problems. The implementation has shown that the processing elements of the artificial neuron are small and simple, but that there can be a significant overhead for the encoding of information into the stochastic pulse rate domain. The stochastic artificial neuron has the capability of on-line weight adaption. The implementation of reinforcement schemes using the stochastic neuron as a basic element are discussed

SKIRT: the design of a suite of input models for Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations

The Monte Carlo method is the most popular technique to perform radiative transfer simulations in a general 3D geometry. The algorithms behind and acceleration techniques for Monte Carlo radiative transfer are discussed extensively in the literature, and many different Monte Carlo codes are publicly available. On the contrary, the design of a suite of components that can be used for the distribution of sources and sinks in radiative transfer codes has received very little attention. The availability of such models, with different degrees of complexity, has many benefits. For example, they can serve as toy models to test new physical ingredients, or as parameterised models for inverse radiative transfer fitting. For 3D Monte Carlo codes, this requires algorithms to efficiently generate random positions from 3D density distributions. We describe the design of a flexible suite of components for the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code SKIRT. The design is based on a combination of basic building blocks (which can be either analytical toy models or numerical models defined on grids or a set of particles) and the extensive use of decorators that combine and alter these building blocks to more complex structures. For a number of decorators, e.g. those that add spiral structure or clumpiness, we provide a detailed description of the algorithms that can be used to generate random positions. Advantages of this decorator-based design include code transparency, the avoidance of code duplication, and an increase in code maintainability. Moreover, since decorators can be chained without problems, very complex models can easily be constructed out of simple building blocks. Finally, based on a number of test simulations, we demonstrate that our design using customised random position generators is superior to a simpler design based on a generic black-box random position generator.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Computin