A web-based software tool for participatory optimization of conservation practices in watersheds

WRESTORE (Watershed Restoration Using Spatio-Temporal Optimization of Resources) is a web-based, participatory planning tool that can be used to engage with watershed stakeholder communities, and involve them in using science-based, human-guided, interactive simulation–optimization methods for designing potential conservation practices on their landscape. The underlying optimization algorithms, process simulation models, and interfaces allow users to not only spatially optimize the locations and types of new conservation practices based on quantifiable goals estimated by the dynamic simulation models, but also to include their personal subjective and/or unquantifiable criteria in the location and design of these practices. In this paper, we describe the software, interfaces, and architecture of WRESTORE, provide scenarios for implementing the WRESTORE tool in a watershed community's planning process, and discuss considerations for future developments.     

Experimental optimization of power-function-shaped drive pulse for stick-slip piezo actuators

Motion of a stick-slip piezo actuator is generally controlled by the parameters related to its mechanical design and characteristics of the driving pulses applied to piezoceramic shear plates. The goal of the proposed optimization method is to find the driving pulse parameters leading to the fastest and the most reliable actuator operation. In the paper the method is tested on a rotary stick-slip piezo actuating system utilized in an atomic force microscope.The optimization is based on the measurement of the actuator response to driving pulses of different shapes and repetition frequencies at various load forces. To provide it, a computer controlled testing system generating the driving pulses, and detecting and recording the corresponding angular motion response of the actuator by a position sensitive photo detector (PSPD) in real time has been developed. To better understand and interpret the experimental results, supportive methods based on a simple analytical model and numerical simulations were used as well.In this way the shapes of the single driving pulses and values of the load force providing the biggest actuator steps were determined. Generally, the maximal steps were achieved for such a combination of the pulse shapes and load forces providing high velocities at the end of the sticking mode of the actuator motion and, at the same time, lower decelerations during the slipping mode.As for the multiple driving pulses, the pulse shapes and values of repetition frequency ensuring the sticking mode of the actuator motion during the pulse rise time together with the maximum average angular rotor velocity were specified. In this way the effective and stable operation conditions of the actuator were provided.In principle, the presented method can be applied for the testing and optimization of any linear or angular stick-slip actuator.     

NSGA-Ⅱ和NSGA-Ⅲ应用于换热网络多目标优化的对比

针对换热网络多目标优化问题，采用目前应用较广泛的两种多目标遗传算法，即NSGA-Ⅱ和NSGA-Ⅲ，对两种算法的性能进行对比研究。案例研究结果表明，NSGA-Ⅱ算法比NSGA-Ⅲ算法运行效率更高，NSGA-Ⅲ的运行时间是NSGA-Ⅱ的2倍以上；NSGA-Ⅱ算法的应用并不严格地受限于3个目标的最大目标数量，NSGA-Ⅱ在求解大于3个目标的多目标优化问题时也可能具有良好的性能，目标数量并非选择NSGA-Ⅱ和NSGA-Ⅲ算法的严格标准。对10×5换热网络案例进行4个相关目标改造优化时，从换热网络的单一性能指标来看，NSGA-Ⅱ算法更容易获得各目标的极值。从最小年度总费用的评价指标来看，两种算法的最优方案效果相近。对7×3换热网络案例进行6个目标的优化时，NSGA-Ⅲ算法得到各目标的极值较优。从最小年度总费用的评价指标来看，NSGA-Ⅲ算法获得的投资费用和年度总费用更小。对于目标函数数量不超过3个，或者3个以上具有一定相关性的多目标优化问题，推荐优先使用NSGA-Ⅱ算法实现快速寻优；而NSGA-Ⅲ算法由于其基于参考点的选择机制，运行效率较慢，更适合用于收敛困难的高维多目标优化问题。     

优化军工科研项目管理的具体策略

我国的军工科研所成立于上世纪，它以军工项目的科研、预研为主，为我国的国防军工提供研发产品。伴随着我国经济实力的增强和科技军事力量的增长，军工科研院所也转变了原有的工业专属性质，走上了军民两用、寓军于民的道路，并在时代的进步中成为了我国先进装备制造业的重要科研力量和科技创新支柱。凸现军事工业“高、精、尖”的特点，以项目管理的优化为具体策略进行军工科研开发工作。     

Electromagnetism-like algorithms for optimized tool path planning in 5-axis flank machining

Optimization of tool path planning using metaheuristic algorithms such as ant colony systems (ACS) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) provides a feasible approach to reduce geometrical machining errors in 5-axis flank machining of ruled surfaces. The optimal solutions of these algorithms exhibit an unsatisfactory quality in a high-dimensional search space. In this study, various algorithms derived from the electromagnetism-like mechanism (EM) were applied. The test results of representative surfaces showed that all EM-based methods yield more effective optimal solutions than does PSO, despite a longer search time. A new EM-MSS (electromagnetism-like mechanism with move solution screening) algorithm produces the most favorable results by ensuring the continuous improvement of new searches. Incorporating an SPSA (simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation) technique further improves the search results with effective initial solutions. This work enhances the practical values of tool path planning by providing a satisfactory machining quality.     

低碳时变城配送车辆路径-发车调度集成优化

针对交通拥挤环境下日益增长的城市配送需求，通过分析时序依赖对成本和碳排放的影响，引入车辆在节点等待和离散调度策略，研究基于时序依赖的低碳城市配送车辆路径与离散调度问题。为求解该问题，设计基于遗传算法与局部搜索相结合的混合进化搜索算法对模型求解，用积极的局部搜索机制替代随机的变异操作，并通过可行解构造算法、变概率交叉和多种局部搜索策略来提高算法求解质量和求解效率。通过对比仿真实验对算法和模型的有效性进行了验证。     

Intelligent Information‐Centric Networking routing scheme under imprecise information

Information‐Centric Networking (ICN) has been accepted to overcome some weaknesses of the current Internet architecture, showing that “what is being exchanged” is more important than “who are exchanging information.” Given the inadequate considerations on Quality of Service (QoS) and energy saving in ICN routing, we propose in this paper a routing algorithm to enhance the two aspects. At first, on one hand, Cauchy distribution is used as a fuzzy model to evaluate users' QoS requirements, such as bandwidth, delay, and error rate; on the other hand, we formulate energy saving problem to evaluate the green quality of routing algorithm. Then, we design a link selection approach by considering QoS and energy saving, which belongs to a multi‐objective decision problem resolved by intelligent drops algorithm. Finally, we implement the proposed algorithm and compare it with the famous adaptive forwarding mechanism in terms of some significant metrics, and the experimental results reveal that the proposed algorithm is more efficient.     

The potential of energy flexibility of space heating and cooling in Portugal

This study assesses the potential of energy flexibility of space heating and cooling for a typical household under different geographical conditions in Portugal. The proposed approach modifies the demand through the optimization of the thermostat settings using a genetic algorithm to reduce either operational costs or interaction with the grid. The results show that the used energy flexibility indicator expresses the available potential and that flexibility depends on several factors, namely: i) thermal inertia of the archetypical household; ii) the time of use electricity tariffs; iii) users’ comfort boundaries; and iv) the geographical location of the houses.     

The robust knapsack problem with queries

We consider robust knapsack problems where item weights are uncertain. We are allowed to query an item to find its exact weight,where the number of such queries is bounded by a given parameter Q. After these queries are made, we need to pack the items robustly, i.e., so that the choice of items is feasible for every remaining possible scenario of item weights.The central question that we consider is: Which items should be queried in order to gain maximum profit? We introduce the notion of query competitiveness for strict robustness to evaluate the quality of an algorithm for this problem, and obtain lower and upper bounds on this competitiveness for interval-based uncertainty. Similar to the study of online algorithms, we study the competitiveness under different frameworks, namely we analyze the worst-case query competitiveness for deterministic algorithms, the expected query competitiveness for randomized algorithms and the average case competitiveness for known distributions of the uncertain input data. We derive theoretical bounds for these different frameworks and evaluate them experimentally. We also extend this approach to Γ-restricted uncertainties introduced by Bertsimas and Sim.Furthermore, we present heuristic algorithms for the problem. In computational experiments considering both the interval-based and the Γ-restricted uncertainty, we evaluate their empirical performance. While the usage of a Γ-restricted uncertainty improves the nominal performance of a solution (as expected), we find that the query competitiveness gets worse.