Method and apparatus for evaluating a proposed solution to a constraint problem
AssigneeGlobal Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLC
InventorsMehdi Asgari, David Kropaczek, Gerald Kvaall, Roland Jackson, Steven Sutton, Christian Oyarzun
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of evaluating constraint functions, the evaluation being based at least in part on a control blade movement criteria.
Claims20
A method of evaluating a proposed solution to a nuclear reactor constraint problem, comprising:
- providing an objective function definition generic to constraint problems, the generic objective function definition being a sum of a first number of credit terms plus a sum of a second number of penalty terms, at least one of the second number of penalty terms being based on control blade movement;
- configuring the generic objective function into a nuclear reactor constraint problem objective function;
- receiving a value of at least one variable in at least one credit term in the configured objective function, the credit term variable being related to the proposed solution;
- receiving a value of at least one variable in at least one penalty term in the configured objective function, the penalty term variable being related to the proposed solution;
- and
- generating a figure of merit for the proposed solution based on the credit term variable and the penalty term variable using the configured objective function.
A method of evaluating a proposed solution to a constraint problem, comprising:
- determining at least one control blade movement characteristic based on a proposed operational plan;
- and
- applying an objective function for evaluating the proposed operational plan, the evaluation based at least in part on the at least one control blade movement characteristic.
The method of 5, wherein the objective function includes a sum of a first number of credit terms plus a sum of a second number of penalty terms, and the number of multi-directional control blade movements where a crossing of blade tips occurs is one of the second number of penalty terms.
The method of 6, wherein the objective function includes a sum of a first number of credit terms plus a sum of a second number of penalty terms, and the number of control blades with a notch rate exceeding the threshold notch is one of the second number of penalty terms.
A method of evaluating a proposed solution to a constraint problem, comprising:
- providing an objective function definition generic to constraint problems, the generic objective function definition being a sum of a first number of credit terms plus a sum of a second number of penalty terms;
- configuring the generic objective function into an application specific objective function applicable to the constraint problem, the generic objective function including at least one penalty term variable being associated with control blade movements;
- generating a figure of merit for the proposed solution based on the credit term variable and the penalty term variable using the application specific objective function.
An apparatus for evaluating a proposed solution to a constraint problem, comprising:
- a memory storing an application specific objective function configured based on a generic objective function definition generic to constraint problems, the generic objective function definition being a sum of a first number of credit terms plus a sum of a second number of penalty terms, at least one of the second number of penalty terms being based on control blade movement;
- an interface receiving a value of at least one variable in at least one credit term of the application specific objective function and receiving a value of at least one variable in at least one penalty term of the application specific objective function, the credit term variable and the penalty term variable being related to the proposed solution;
- and
- a processor generating a figure of merit for the proposed solution based on the credit term variable and the penalty term variable using the application specific objective function.
A method of generating a solution to an optimization problem, comprising:
- generating at least one candidate solution;
- generating an objective function value using a configured objective function, the configured objective function being configured from a generic objective function definition, the generic objective function definition being a sum of a first number of credit components plus a sum of a second number of penalty components, each credit component including a credit term and each penalty component including a penalty term, at least one of the penalty components being based on control blade movement;
- and
- accessing convergence on a solution based on the objective function values.
A method of configuring an objective function, comprising:
- providing an objective function definition generic to constraint problems, the generic objective function definition being a sum of a first number of credit terms plus a sum of a second number of penalty terms;
- defining at least one credit term based on user input;
- and
- defining at least one penalty term based on control blade movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.