Symmetry-Breaking for Airflow Control Optimization of an Oscillating-Water-Column System

Abstract

Global optimization problems are mostly solved using search methods. Therefore, decreasing the search space can increase the efficiency of their solving. A widely exploited technique to reduce the search space is symmetry-breaking, which helps impose constraints on breaking existing symmetries. The present article deals with the airflow control optimization problem in an oscillating-water-column using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). In an effort to ameliorate the efficiency of the PSO search, a symmetry-breaking technique has been implemented. The results of optimization showed that shrinking the search space helped to reduce the search time and ameliorate the efficiency of the PSO algorithm.

Keywords

• airflow control
• optimization
• oscillating water column (OWC)
• power generation
• stalling behavior
• symmetry-breaking