A new approach to improve ill-conditioned parabolic optimal control problem via time domain decomposition

In this paper we present a new steepest-descent type algorithm for convex optimization problems. Our algorithm pieces the unknown into sub-blocs of unknowns and considers a partial optimization over each sub-bloc. In quadratic optimization, our method involves Newton technique to compute the step-lengths for the sub-blocs resulting descent directions. Our optimization method is fully parallel and easily implementable, we first presents it in a general linear algebra setting, then we highlight its applicability to a parabolic optimal control problem, where we consider the blocs of unknowns with respect to the time dependency of the control variable. The parallel tasks, in the last problem, turn "on" the control during a specific time-window and turn it "off" elsewhere. We show that our algorithm significantly improves the computational time compared with recognized methods. Convergence analysis of the new optimal control algorithm is provided for an arbitrary choice of partition. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the efficiency and the rapid convergence of the method.Comment: 28 page

3D direct and inverse solvers for eddy current testing of deposits in steam generator

We consider the inverse problem of estimating the shape profile of an unknown deposit from a set of eddy current impedance measurements. The measurements are acquired with an axial probe, which is modeled by a set of coils that generate a magnetic field inside the tube. For the direct problem, we validate the method that takes into account the tube support plates, highly conductive part, by a surface impedance condition. For the inverse problem, finite element and shape sensitivity analysis related to the eddy current problem are provided in order to determine the explicit formula of the gradient of a least square misfit functional. A geometrical-parametric shape inversion algorithm based on cylindrical coordinates is designed to improve the robustness and the quality of the reconstruction. Several numerical results are given in the experimental part. Numerical experiments on synthetic deposits, nearby or far away from the tube, with different shapes are considered in the axisymmetric configuration.Comment: 3

Parareal in time intermediate targets methods for optimal control problem

In this paper, we present a method that enables solving in parallel the Euler-Lagrange system associated with the optimal control of a parabolic equation. Our approach is based on an iterative update of a sequence of intermediate targets that gives rise to independent sub-problems that can be solved in parallel. This method can be coupled with the parareal in time algorithm. Numerical experiments show the efficiency of our method.Comment: 14 page

A robust inversion method for quantitative 3D shape reconstruction from coaxial eddy-current measurements

This work is motivated by the monitoring of conductive clogging deposits in steam generator at the level of support plates. One would like to use monoaxial coils measurements to obtain estimates on the clogging volume. We propose a 3D shape optimization technique based on simplified parametrization of the geometry adapted to the measurement nature and resolution. The direct problem is modeled by the eddy current approximation of time-harmonic Maxwell's equations in the low frequency regime. A potential formulation is adopted in order to easily handle the complex topology of the industrial problem setting. We first characterize the shape derivatives of the deposit impedance signal using an adjoint field technique. For the inversion procedure, the direct and adjoint problems have to be solved for each coil vertical position which is excessively time and memory consuming. To overcome this difficulty, we propose and discuss a steepest descent method based on a fixed and invariant triangulation. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the convergence and the efficiency of the method

TOWARDS A FULLY SCALABLE BALANCED PARAREAL METHOD: APPLICATION TO NEUTRONICS

In the search of new approaches for the efficient exploitation of large scale compu- tational platforms, the parallelization in the time direction for time dependent problems is a very promising approach. Among the existing methods in this frame, the parallel in time method, since its introduction in [10], has been developed in many ways that, altogether, allow to identify its pros and cons. Among the cons, the current approaches present in practice some efficiency limitations as regards correct scalings that “spoil” the huge potential of the idea. This article is a contribution towards overcoming this major obstruction by exploiting the idea that the numerical schemes to parallelize time could be coupled to other iterative numerical algorithms that are needed to solve the PDE. We present a parareal scheme in which these alternative iterations are truncated (i.e. not converged) during each parareal iteration but in which convergence is nevertheless achieved across the parareal iterations. In order to limit the use of too much memory necessitated by the recovery of these alternative iterations over the parareal iterations, we propose also a compression procedure via proper orthogonal decomposition. After a mathematical analysis of the convergence properties of this new approach, we present some numerical results dealing with the application of the scheme to ac- celerate the time-dependent neutron diffusion equation in a reactor core. The numerical results show a significant improvement of the performances with respect to the plain parareal algorithm, which is an important step towards making the parallelization in the time direction be a fully competitive option for the exploitation of massively parallel computers

Parareal in time 3D numerical solver for the LWR Benchmark neutron diffusion transient model

We present a parareal in time algorithm for the simulation of neutron diffusion transient model. The method is made efficient by means of a coarse solver defined with large time steps and steady control rods model. Using finite element for the space discretization, our implementation provides a good scalability of the algorithm. Numerical results show the efficiency of the parareal method on large light water reactor transient model corresponding to the Langenbuch-Maurer-Werner (LMW) benchmark [1]