Harmony Search Applications in Mechanical, Chemical and Electrical Engineering - Music-Inspired Harmony Search Algorithm: Theory and Applications - page 69

Harmony Search Applications in Mechanical, Chemical
and Electrical Engineering
Mohammad Fesanghary
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
[e-mail]
Abstract. The primary aim of this chapter is to introduce the state of the art applications of the
harmony search (HS) algorithm in mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering fields. The
HS algorithm has been broadly utilized in complex optimization problems arising in most engi-
neering applications. It has been reported to be a viable alternative to other conventional opti-
mization techniques in these engineering disciplines. This chapter is intended to discuss the
available literature in the field and to provide general information for those who are interested
in optimized-design of thermal systems, economic utilization of electric power-systems and
optimization of machining processes.
Keywords: Harmony Search, Heat Exchanger Design, Economic Dispatch, Machining Process.
1 Introduction
This chapter deals with harmony search applications in mechanical, chemical and
electrical engineering. Various engineering optimization problems such as design op-
timization of heat exchangers, economic utilization of electric power systems and se-
lection of cutting parameters in machining processes will be discussed in here.
A heat exchanger is a device built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to
another. The media can either be separated by a solid wall so that they never mix, or
be in direct contact. Heat exchangers are widely used in space heating, refrigeration,
air conditioning, power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum re-
fineries, and natural gas processing. This chapter shows the HS application on some
heat exchanger design problems including design of shell and tube heat exchangers
(STHEs), air-cooled heat exchangers (ACHEs) and satellite heat pipes.
The HS algorithm is also applied to power economic dispatch (ED) problems.
Economic dispatch is considered to be one of the key functions in electric power sys-
tem operation. The ED problem is commonly formulated as an optimization problem
aimed to minimize the total generation cost of units, while satisfying genera-
tion/network constraints. In order to show the performance of the HS algorithm in
solving power dispatch problems a benchmark problem will be considered.
Another HS application in mechanical engineering field is optimization of machin-
ing processes. Machining is one of the most important material removal methods used
in industry and is a part of the manufacture of almost all metal products. The produc-
tion cost and quality of machined parts are determined by many variables such as cut-
ting speed, feed, and depth of cut. This chapter shows how efficiently these parameters
can be optimized using HS algorithm.