• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.1126-1139
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• 2016

In this research, for the first time, a new optimization method, i.e., strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm II (SPEA-II), is developed for the burnable poison placement (BPP) optimization of a nuclear reactor core. In the BPP problem, an optimized placement map of fuel assemblies with burnable poison is searched for a given core loading pattern according to defined objectives. In this work, SPEA-II coupled with a nodal expansion code is used for solving the BPP problem of Kraftwerk Union AG (KWU) pressurized water reactor. Our optimization goal for the BPP is to achieve a greater multiplication factor ($K_{eff}$) for gaining possible longer operation cycles along with more flattening of fuel assembly relative power distribution, considering a safety constraint on the radial power peaking factor. For appraising the proposed methodology, the basic approach, i.e., SPEA, is also developed in order to compare obtained results. In general, results reveal the acceptance performance and high strength of SPEA, particularly its new version, i.e., SPEA-II, in achieving a semioptimized loading pattern for the BPP optimization of KWU pressurized water reactor.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.467-475
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• 2009

Congestion management is one of the technical challenges in power system deregulation. This paper presents single objective and multi-objective optimization approaches for optimal choice, location and size of Static Var Compensators (SVC) and Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitors (TCSC) in deregulated power system to improve branch loading (minimize congestion), improve voltage stability and reduce line losses. Though FACTS controllers offer many advantages, their installation cost is very high. Hence Independent System Operator (ISO) has to locate them optimally to satisfy a desired objective. This paper presents optimal location of FACTS controllers considering branch loading (BL), voltage stability (VS) and loss minimization (LM) as objectives at once using GA. It is observed that the locations that are most favorable with respect to one objective are not suitable locations with respect to other two objectives. Later these competing objectives are optimized simultaneously considering two and three objectives at a time using multi-objective Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithms (SPEA). The developed algorithms are tested on IEEE 30 bus system. Various cases like i) uniform line loading ii) line outage iii) bilateral and multilateral transactions between source and sink nodes have been considered to create congestion in the system. The developed algorithms show effective locations for all the cases considered for both single and multiobjective optimization studies.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.6
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• pp.677-689
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• 2022

Generally, the goal of seismic retrofit design of an existing structure using energy dissipation devices is to determine the optimum design parameters of a retrofit device to satisfy a specified limit state with minimum cost. However, the presence of multiple parameters to be optimized and the computational complexity of performing non-linear analysis make it difficult to find the optimal design parameters in the realistic 3D structure. In this study, genetic algorithm-based optimal seismic retrofit methods for determining the required number, yield strength, and location of steel slit dampers are proposed to retrofit an asymmetric soft first-story structure. These methods use a multi-objective and single-objective evolutionary algorithms, each of which varies in computational complexity and incorporates nonlinear time-history analysis to determine seismic performance. Pareto-optimal solutions of the multi-objective optimization are found using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). It is demonstrated that the developed multi-objective optimization methods can determine the optimum number, yield strength, and location of dampers that satisfy the given limit state of a three-dimensional asymmetric soft first-story structure. It is also shown that the single-objective distribution method based on minimizing plan-wise stiffness eccentricity turns out to produce similar number of dampers in optimum locations without time consuming nonlinear dynamic analysis.