Airfoil shape optimization by minimization of an expensive and discontinuous black-box function

Yoel Tenne, Shigeru Obayashi, S. W. Armfield

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study addresses the problem of minimizing functions whose values are obtained by running an expensive computer simulation and where the simulation may fail to converge for some points, i.e. the objective function is discontinuous. An algorithm is proposed which is comprised of three major steps: generating a global surrogate model of the objective function; using an evolutionary algorithm to identify regions where minimizers are likely to exist and then using an efficient local search to converge to a minimizer. In order to handle discontinuity points we implement two mechanisms: a) a global penalty function is generated by interpolation and is used to modify the global surrogate model such that the function value predicted by the global surrogate model are increased in the vicinity of discontinuity points b) in case a discontinuity point is encountered during the local search the search region is temporarily reduced so as to seek a valid point in a smaller region around the current valid point. Performance analysis from minimization of mathematical test functions and a real-world application of airfoil shape optimization show the proposed algorithm efficiently minimizes expensive black-box functions with discontinuity points.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCollection of Technical Papers - 2007 AIAA InfoTech at Aerospace Conference
Pages1691-1710
Number of pages20
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007
Externally publishedYes
Event2007 AIAA InfoTech at Aerospace Conference - Rohnert Park, CA, United States
Duration: 7 May 200710 May 2007

Publication series

NameCollection of Technical Papers - 2007 AIAA InfoTech at Aerospace Conference
Volume2

Conference

Conference2007 AIAA InfoTech at Aerospace Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityRohnert Park, CA
Period7/05/0710/05/07

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