TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Lorenz, Ulf A1 - Pelz, Peter F. A1 - Pöttgen, Philipp ED - Lübbecke, Marco ED - Koster, Arie ED - Letmathe, Peter ED - Madlener, Reihard ED - Peis, Britta ED - Walther, Grit T1 - Experimental validation of an enhanced system synthesis approach JF - Operations Research Proceedings 2014 N2 - Planning the layout and operation of a technical system is a common task for an engineer. Typically, the workflow is divided into consecutive stages: First, the engineer designs the layout of the system, with the help of his experience or of heuristic methods. Secondly, he finds a control strategy which is often optimized by simulation. This usually results in a good operating of an unquestioned sys- tem topology. In contrast, we apply Operations Research (OR) methods to find a cost-optimal solution for both stages simultaneously via mixed integer program- ming (MILP). Technical Operations Research (TOR) allows one to find a provable global optimal solution within the model formulation. However, the modeling error due to the abstraction of physical reality remains unknown. We address this ubiq- uitous problem of OR methods by comparing our computational results with mea- surements in a test rig. For a practical test case we compute a topology and control strategy via MILP and verify that the objectives are met up to a deviation of 8.7%. Y1 - 2014 SN - 978-3-319-28695-2 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28697-6_1 PB - Springer CY - Basel ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Vergé, Angela A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - Algorithmische Struktursynthese eines hydrostatischen Getriebes T2 - Antriebssysteme 2015 : Elektrik, Mechanik, Fluidtechnik in der Anwendung Y1 - 2015 SN - 978-3-18-092268-3 N1 - Antriebssysteme 2015 - Elektrik, Mechanik, Fluidtechnik in der Anwendung. VDI/VDE-Fachtagung. 11.11.15-12.11.15, Aachen. Veröffentlicht in der Reihe VDI-Berichte, Bandnummer 2268. SP - 145 EP - 155 PB - VDI-Verlag CY - Düsseldorf ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schänzle, Christian A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Lorenz, Ulf A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - As good as it can be: Ventilation system design by a combined scaling and discrete optimization method T2 - Proceedings of FAN 2015 N2 - The understanding that optimized components do not automatically lead to energy-efficient systems sets the attention from the single component on the entire technical system. At TU Darmstadt, a new field of research named Technical Operations Research (TOR) has its origin. It combines mathematical and technical know-how for the optimal design of technical systems. We illustrate our optimization approach in a case study for the design of a ventilation system with the ambition to minimize the energy consumption for a temporal distribution of diverse load demands. By combining scaling laws with our optimization methods we find the optimal combination of fans and show the advantage of the use of multiple fans. Y1 - 2015 N1 - Proceedings of FAN 2015, Lyon (France), 15 – 17 April 2015 SP - 1 EP - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pöttgen, Philipp A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Lorenz, Ulf A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - Examination and optimization of a heating circuit for energy-efficient buildings JF - Energy Technology N2 - The conference center darmstadtium in Darmstadt is a prominent example of energy efficient buildings. Its heating system consists of different source and consumer circuits connected by a Zortström reservoir. Our goal was to reduce the energy costs of the system as much as possible. Therefore, we analyzed its supply circuits. The first step towards optimization is a complete examination of the system: 1) Compilation of an object list for the system, 2) collection of the characteristic curves of the components, and 3) measurement of the load profiles of the heat and volume-flow demand. Instead of modifying the system manually and testing the solution by simulation, the second step was the creation of a global optimization program. The objective was to minimize the total energy costs for one year. We compare two different topologies and show opportunities for significant savings. KW - energy transfer KW - heating system KW - programming KW - system optimization KW - technical operations research Y1 - 2015 SN - 2194-4296 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ente.201500252 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 136 EP - 144 PB - WILEY-VCH Verlag CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Pöttgen, Philipp A1 - Lorenz, Ulf A1 - Pelz, Peter F. ED - Pelz, Peter F. ED - Groche, Peter T1 - Multicriterial optimization of technical systems considering multiple load and availability scenarios JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - Cheap does not imply cost-effective -- this is rule number one of zeitgeisty system design. The initial investment accounts only for a small portion of the lifecycle costs of a technical system. In fluid systems, about ninety percent of the total costs are caused by other factors like power consumption and maintenance. With modern optimization methods, it is already possible to plan an optimal technical system considering multiple objectives. In this paper, we focus on an often neglected contribution to the lifecycle costs: downtime costs due to spontaneous failures. Consequently, availability becomes an issue. KW - sustainability KW - availability KW - energy efficiency KW - mixed-integer linear programming KW - system synthesis Y1 - 2015 SN - 1660-9336 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.807.247 VL - 807 SP - 247 EP - 256 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schänzle, Christian A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Pelz, Peter T1 - TOR – Towards the energetically optimal ventilation system KW - Energy KW - Efficiency KW - Ventilation System KW - Discrete Optimisation KW - TGA Y1 - 2015 N1 - EST 2015, Karlsruhe, 19-21 Mai 2015 ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Altherr, Lena T1 - Algorithmic System Design under Consideration of Dynamic Processes N2 - Nach Stand von Wissenschaft und Technik werden Komponenten hinsichtlich ihrer Eigenschaften, wie Lebensdauer oder Energieeffizienz, optimiert. Allerdings können selbst hervorragende Komponenten zu ineffizienten oder instabilen Systemen führen, wenn ihr Zusammenspiel nur unzureichend berücksichtigt wird. Eine Systembetrachtung schafft ein größeres Optimierungspotential - dem erhöhten Potential steht jedoch auch ein erhöhter Komplexitätsgrad gegenüber. Die vorliegende Arbeit ist im Rahmen des Sonderforschungsbereichs 805 entstanden, dessen Ziel die Beherrschung von Unsicherheit in Systemen des Maschinenbaus ist. Die Arbeit zeigt anhand eines realen Systems aus dem Bereich der Hydraulik, wie Unsicherheit in der Entwicklungsphase beherrscht werden kann. Hierbei ist neu, dass die durch den späteren Betrieb zu erwartende Systemdegradation eines jeden möglichen Systemvorschlags antizipiert werden kann. Dadurch können Betriebs- und Wartungskosten vorausgesagt und minimiert werden und durch eine optimale Betriebs- und Wartungsstrategie die Verfügbarkeit des Systems garantiert werden. Wesentliche Fragen bei der optimalen Auslegung des betrachteten hydrostatischen Getriebes sind dessen physikalische Modellierung, die Darstellung des Optimierungsproblems als gemischt-ganzzahliges lineares Programm, und dessen algorithmische Behandlung zur Lösungsfindung. Hierzu werden Heuristiken zum schnelleren Auffinden sinnvoller Systemtopologien vorgestellt und mittels mathematischer Dekomposition eine Bewertung des dynamischen Verschleiß- und Wartungsverlaufs möglicher Systemvorschläge vorgenommen. Die Arbeit stellt die Optimierung technischer Systeme an der Schnittstelle von Mathematik, Informatik und Ingenieurwesen sowohl gründlich als auch anschaulich und nachvollziehbar dar. KW - Mixed Integer Programming KW - Technical Operations Research KW - Optimization KW - System Design Y1 - 2016 SN - 978-3-8440-4848-3 PB - Shaker CY - Aachen ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Lorenz, Ulf A1 - Pelz, Peter F. A1 - Pöttgen, Philipp ED - Lübbecke, Marco E. ED - Koster, Arie ED - Letmathe, Peter ED - Madlener, Reihard ED - Preis, Britta ED - Walther, Grit T1 - Designing a feedback control system via mixed-integer programming T2 - Operations Research Proceedings 2014: Selected Papers of the Annual International Conference of the German Operations Research N2 - Pure analytical or experimental methods can only find a control strategy for technical systems with a fixed setup. In former contributions we presented an approach that simultaneously finds the optimal topology and the optimal open-loop control of a system via Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). In order to extend this approach by a closed-loop control we present a Mixed Integer Program for a time discretized tank level control. This model is the basis for an extension by combinatorial decisions and thus for the variation of the network topology. Furthermore, one is able to appraise feasible solutions using the global optimality gap. KW - Optimal Topology KW - Controller Parameter KW - Level Control System KW - Technical Operation Research KW - Optimal Closed Loop Y1 - 2016 SN - 978-3-319-28695-2 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28697-6_18 SP - 121 EP - 127 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Rausch, Lea A1 - Leise, Philipp A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Pelz, Peter F. ED - Papadrakakis, M. ED - Ppadopoulos, V. ED - Stefanou, G. ED - Plevris, V. T1 - A comparison of MILP and MINLP solver performance on the example of a drinking water supply system design problem T2 - ECCOMAS Congress 2016 VII European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering N2 - Finding a good system topology with more than a handful of components is a highly non-trivial task. The system needs to be able to fulfil all expected load cases, but at the same time the components should interact in an energy-efficient way. An example for a system design problem is the layout of the drinking water supply of a residential building. It may be reasonable to choose a design of spatially distributed pumps which are connected by pipes in at least two dimensions. This leads to a large variety of possible system topologies. To solve such problems in a reasonable time frame, the nonlinear technical characteristics must be modelled as simple as possible, while still achieving a sufficiently good representation of reality. The aim of this paper is to compare the speed and reliability of a selection of leading mathematical programming solvers on a set of varying model formulations. This gives us empirical evidence on what combinations of model formulations and solver packages are the means of choice with the current state of the art. KW - Technical Operations Research KW - Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimisation KW - Solver Per- formance KW - Drinking Water Supply KW - System Design Problem Y1 - 2016 SN - 978-618-82844-0-1 N1 - ECCOMAS Congress 2016 VII European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, 5–10 June 2016.Crete Island, Greece SP - 8509 EP - 8527 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vergé, Angela A1 - Pöttgen, Philipp A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Pelz, Peter F. ED - Greuloch, Ivo ED - Weber, Manfred ED - Meier, Miles T1 - Lebensdauer als Optimierungsziel: Algorithmische Struktursynthese am Beispiel eines hydrostatischen Getriebes JF - O+P – Ölhydraulik und Pneumatik N2 - Verfügbarkeit und Nachhaltigkeit sind wichtige Anforderungen bei der Planung langlebiger technischer Systeme. Meist werden bei Lebensdaueroptimierungen lediglich einzelne Komponenten vordefinierter Systeme untersucht. Ob eine optimale Lebensdauer eine gänzlich andere Systemvariante bedingt, wird nur selten hinterfragt. Technical Operations Research (TOR) erlaubt es, aus Obermengen technischer Systeme automatisiert die lebensdaueroptimale Systemstruktur auszuwählen. Der Artikel zeigt dies am Beispiel eines hydrostatischen Getriebes. Y1 - 2016 SN - 1614-9602 VL - 60 IS - 1-2 SP - 114 EP - 121 PB - Vereinigte Fachverl. CY - Mainz ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Dörig, Bastian A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Pelz, Peter Franz A1 - Pfetsch, Marc A1 - Wolf, Jan T1 - A mixed-integer nonlinear program for the design of gearboxes T2 - Operations Research Proceedings 2016 N2 - Gearboxes are mechanical transmission systems that provide speed and torque conversions from a rotating power source. Being a central element of the drive train, they are relevant for the efficiency and durability of motor vehicles. In this work, we present a new approach for gearbox design: Modeling the design problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) allows us to create gearbox designs from scratch for arbitrary requirements and—given enough time—to compute provably globally optimal designs for a given objective. We show how different degrees of freedom influence the runtime and present an exemplary solution. Y1 - 2017 SN - 978-3-319-55701-4 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55702-1_31 SP - 227 EP - 233 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Pelz, Peter F. A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. ED - Jacobs, Georg T1 - Optimale Getriebe auf Knopfdruck: Gemischt-ganzzahlige nichtlineare Optimierung zur Entscheidungsunterstützung bei der Auslegung von Getrieben für Kraftfahrzeuge T2 - Antriebstechnisches Kolloquium ATK 2017 Y1 - 2017 SN - 9783743148970 N1 - Antriebstechnisches Kolloquium ATK 2017, 07.03-08.03.2017. Aachen, Deutschland SP - 313 EP - 325 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Schänzle, Christian A1 - Lorenz, Ulf A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - Algorithmic system design using scaling and affinity laws T2 - Operations Research Proceedings 2015 N2 - Energy-efficient components do not automatically lead to energy-efficient systems. Technical Operations Research (TOR) shifts the focus from the single component to the system as a whole and finds its optimal topology and operating strategy simultaneously. In previous works, we provided a preselected construction kit of suitable components for the algorithm. This approach may give rise to a combinatorial explosion if the preselection cannot be cut down to a reasonable number by human intuition. To reduce the number of discrete decisions, we integrate laws derived from similarity theory into the optimization model. Since the physical characteristics of a production series are similar, it can be described by affinity and scaling laws. Making use of these laws, our construction kit can be modeled more efficiently: Instead of a preselection of components, it now encompasses whole model ranges. This allows us to significantly increase the number of possible set-ups in our model. In this paper, we present how to embed this new formulation into a mixed-integer program and assess the run time via benchmarks. We present our approach on the example of a ventilation system design problem. KW - Optimal Topology KW - Piecewise Linearization KW - Ventilation System KW - Similarity Theory Y1 - 2017 SN - 978-3-319-42901-4 SN - 978-3-319-42902-1 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42902-1 N1 - International Conference of the German, Austrian and Swiss Operations Research Societies (GOR, ÖGOR, SVOR/ASRO), University of Vienna, Austria, September 1-4, 2015 SP - 605 EP - 611 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Farnetane, Lucas S. A1 - Pöttgen, Philipp A1 - Vergé, Angela A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - Multicriterial design of a hydrostatic transmission system via mixed-integer programming T2 - Operations Research Proceedings 2015 N2 - In times of planned obsolescence the demand for sustainability keeps growing. Ideally, a technical system is highly reliable, without failures and down times due to fast wear of single components. At the same time, maintenance should preferably be limited to pre-defined time intervals. Dispersion of load between multiple components can increase a system’s reliability and thus its availability inbetween maintenance points. However, this also results in higher investment costs and additional efforts due to higher complexity. Given a specific load profile and resulting wear of components, it is often unclear which system structure is the optimal one. Technical Operations Research (TOR) finds an optimal structure balancing availability and effort. We present our approach by designing a hydrostatic transmission system. Y1 - 2017 SN - 978-3-319-42901-4 SN - 978-3-319-42902-1 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42902-1_41 N1 - International Conference of the German, Austrian and Swiss Operations Research Societies (GOR, ÖGOR, SVOR/ASRO), University of Vienna, Austria, September 1-4, 2015 SP - 301 EP - 307 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rausch, Lea A1 - Friesen, John A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Meck, Marvin A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - A holistic concept to design optimal water supply infrastructures for informal settlements using remote sensing data JF - Remote Sensing N2 - Ensuring access to water and sanitation for all is Goal No. 6 of the 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals to transform our world. As one step towards this goal, we present an approach that leverages remote sensing data to plan optimal water supply networks for informal urban settlements. The concept focuses on slums within large urban areas, which are often characterized by a lack of an appropriate water supply. We apply methods of mathematical optimization aiming to find a network describing the optimal supply infrastructure. Hereby, we choose between different decentral and central approaches combining supply by motorized vehicles with supply by pipe systems. For the purposes of illustration, we apply the approach to two small slum clusters in Dhaka and Dar es Salaam. We show our optimization results, which represent the lowest cost water supply systems possible. Additionally, we compare the optimal solutions of the two clusters (also for varying input parameters, such as population densities and slum size development over time) and describe how the result of the optimization depends on the entered remote sensing data. KW - water supply design KW - mathematical optimization KW - slum classification KW - remote sensing Y1 - 2018 SN - 2072-4292 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rs10020216 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ederer, Thorsten A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - Maschinelles Design eines optimalen Getriebes JF - ATZ - Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift N2 - Nahezu 100.000 denkbare Strukturen kann ein Getriebe bei gleicher Funktion aufweisen - je nach Ganganzahl und gefordertem Freiheitsgrad. Mit dem traditionellen Ansatz bei der Entwicklung, einzelne vielversprechende Systemkonfigurationen manuell zu identifizieren und zu vergleichen, können leicht innovative und vor allem kostenminimale Lösungen übersehen werden. Im Rahmen eines Forschungsprojekts hat die TU Darmstadt spezielle Optimierungsmethoden angewendet, um auch bei großen Lösungsräumen zielsicher ein für die individuellen Zielstellungen optimales Layout zu finden. Y1 - 2018 SN - 2192-8800 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s35148-018-0131-3 VL - 120 IS - 10 SP - 72 EP - 77 PB - Springer Nature CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Joggerst, Laura A1 - Leise, Philipp A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. A1 - Schmitt, Andreas A1 - Wendt, Janine T1 - On obligations in the development process of resilient systems with algorithmic design methods JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - Advanced computational methods are needed both for the design of large systems and to compute high accuracy solutions. Such methods are efficient in computation, but the validation of results is very complex, and highly skilled auditors are needed to verify them. We investigate legal questions concerning obligations in the development phase, especially for technical systems developed using advanced methods. In particular, we consider methods of resilient and robust optimization. With these techniques, high performance solutions can be found, despite a high variety of input parameters. However, given the novelty of these methods, it is uncertain whether legal obligations are being met. The aim of this paper is to discuss if and how the choice of a specific computational method affects the developer’s product liability. The review of legal obligations in this paper is based on German law and focuses on the requirements that must be met during the design and development process. KW - legal obligations KW - product liability KW - design of technical systems KW - optimization KW - resilience Y1 - 2018 SN - 1662-7482 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.885.240 VL - 885 IS - 885 SP - 240 EP - 252 PB - Trans Tech Publications CY - Bäch ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sun, Hui A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Pei, Ji A1 - Pelz, Peter F. A1 - Yuan, Shouqi T1 - Optimal booster station design and operation under uncertain load JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - Given industrial applications, the costs for the operation and maintenance of a pump system typically far exceed its purchase price. For finding an optimal pump configuration which minimizes not only investment, but life-cycle costs, methods like Technical Operations Research which is based on Mixed-Integer Programming can be applied. However, during the planning phase, the designer is often faced with uncertain input data, e.g. future load demands can only be estimated. In this work, we deal with this uncertainty by developing a chance-constrained two-stage (CCTS) stochastic program. The design and operation of a booster station working under uncertain load demand are optimized to minimize total cost including purchase price, operation cost incurred by energy consumption and penalty cost resulting from water shortage. We find optimized system layouts using a sample average approximation (SAA) algorithm, and analyze the results for different risk levels of water shortage. By adjusting the risk level, the costs and performance range of the system can be balanced, and thus the system’s resilience can be engineered KW - Stochastic Programming KW - Chance Constraint KW - Engineering Application KW - Pump System KW - Water Distribution Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.885.102 SN - 1662-7482 VL - 885 SP - 102 EP - 115 PB - Trans Tech Publications CY - Bäch ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Müller, Tim M. A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Ahola, Marja A1 - Schabel, Samuel A1 - Pelz, Peter F. T1 - Optimizing pressure screen systems in paper recycling: optimal system layout, component selection and operation N2 - Around 60% of the paper worldwide is made from recovered paper. Especially adhesive contaminants, so called stickies, reduce paper quality. To remove stickies but at the same time keep as many valuable fibers as possible, multi-stage screening systems with several interconnected pressure screens are used. When planning such systems, suitable screens have to be selected and their interconnection as well as operational parameters have to be defined considering multiple conflicting objectives. In this contribution, we present a Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Program to optimize system layout, component selection and operation to find a suitable trade-off between output quality and yield. KW - Mixed-integer nonlinear problem KW - MINLP KW - Process engineering KW - Paper recycling KW - Multi-criteria optimization Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-3-030-18499-5 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-18500-8_44 SP - 355 EP - 361 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Leise, Philipp A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. A1 - Schmitt, Andreas T1 - Algorithmic design and resilience assessment of energy efficient high-rise water supply systems JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - High-rise water supply systems provide water flow and suitable pressure in all levels of tall buildings. To design such state-of-the-art systems, the consideration of energy efficiency and the anticipation of component failures are mandatory. In this paper, we use Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming to compute an optimal placement of pipes and pumps, as well as an optimal control strategy.Moreover, we consider the resilience of the system to pump failures. A resilient system is able to fulfill a predefined minimum functionality even though components fail or are restricted in their normal usage. We present models to measure and optimize the resilience. To demonstrate our approach, we design and analyze an optimal resilient decentralized water supply system inspired by a real-life hotel building. KW - MINLP KW - Buffering Capacity KW - Uncertainty KW - Water Supply Networks KW - Booster Stations Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.885.211 SN - 1662-7482 VL - 885 SP - 211 EP - 223 PB - Trans Tech Publications CY - Bäch ER -