Application of multi-objective optimization based on the integration of linear physical programming within collaborative optimization

The problems in the practical engineering design of large-scale complex systems always contain multiply optimal objectives and several smaller functional units (subsystems). Aiming at the multiple problems and conflicting objectives in Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO), this paper describes the integration of Advanced Linear Physical Programming within Collaborative Optimization framework for designers to formulate concurrently and conveniently. The proposed framework would enable designers to formulate multiple system-level objectives in terms of physically meaningful parameters, and would hierarchically decompose the multilevel system into several small and more manageable subsystems for saving computational cost. A mathematical example using MDO application demonstrated the proposed framework in this paper.