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The Steiner tree problem in graphs is a classical problem that commonly arises in practical applications as one of many variants. While often a strong relationship between different
Steiner tree problem variants can be observed, solution approaches employed so far have been
prevalently problem-specific. In contrast, this paper introduces a general-purpose solver that
can be used to solve both the classical Steiner tree problem and many of its variants without
modification. This versatility is achieved by transforming various problem variants into a
general form and solving them by using a state-of-the-art MIP-framework. The result is
a high-performance solver that can be employed in massively parallel environments and is
capable of solving previously unsolved instances.
Portfolio parallelization is an approach that runs several solver instances in parallel and terminates when one of them succeeds in solving the problem. Despite it's simplicity portfolio parallelization has been shown to perform well for modern mixed-integer programming (MIP) and boolean satisfiability problem (SAT) solvers. Domain propagation has also been shown to be a simple technique in modern MIP and SAT solvers that effectively finds additional domain reductions after a variables domain has been reduced. This paper investigates the impact of distributed domain propagation in modern MIP solvers that employ portfolio parallelization. Computational experiments were conducted for two implementations of this parallelization approach. While both share global variable bounds and solutions they communicate differently. In one implementation the communication is performed only at designated points in the solving process and in the other it is performed completely asynchronously. Computational experiments show a positive performance impact of communicating global variable bounds and provide valuable insights in communication strategies for parallel solvers.
The Steiner tree problem in graphs is a classical problem that commonly arises in practical applications as one of many variants. While often a strong relationship between different Steiner tree problem variants can be observed, solution approaches employed so far have been prevalently problem-specific. In contrast, this paper introduces a general-purpose solver that can be used to solve both the classical Steiner tree problem and many of its variants without modification. This versatility is achieved by transforming various problem variants into a general form and solving them by using a state-of-the-art MIP-framework. The result is a high-performance solver that can be employed in massively parallel environments and is capable of solving previously unsolved instances.
To realize the best performance in energy supply, it is an important task to determine types, capacities, and numbers of energy conversion equipment appropriately. It is also necessary to take account of seasonal and hourly variations in energy demands and corresponding operational strategies of equipment. The mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) method has been utilized widely to derive the optimal solution for such a design problem. From the design viewpoint, it is important to generate not only the optimal solution but also suboptimal ones which follow the optimal one without omission, what are called K-best solutions. In this paper, an MILP method utilizing the hierarchical relationship between design and operation variables is applied along with some strategies to efficiently drive K-best solutions of a multiobjective optimal design problem of a gas turbine cogeneration system for district energy supply. The annual total cost and primary energy consumption are adopted as the objective functions to be minimized. A case study is conducted, and K-best solutions with an allowable increase in the value of the combined objective function are derived for each value of the weight for the annual total cost. Through the study, it is clarified how the weight affects the computation time, the number of the K-best solutions, and the design specifications and the values of the objective functions for the K-best solutions.
In designing energy supply systems, it is important to consider the uncertainty in energy demands, evaluate the robustness in some performance criteria, and heighten the robustness. A robust optimal design method has been previously proposed to maximize the robustness in a single performance criterion against the uncertainty in energy demands based on a mixed-integer linear model. In this paper, as a preliminary step toward multiobjective robust optimal design, a method of evaluating robustness in multiple performance criteria against the uncertainty in energy demands is proposed based on a mixed-integer linear model. The problems of evaluating the robustness in the performance criteria are formulated as bilevel mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) ones. They are solved by evaluating lower and upper bounds for the maximum regrets in the performance criteria alternately and repeatedly with the aid of a solution method based on reformulation and decomposition. In addition, for the purpose of applying the proposed method to practical problems, a hierarchical MILP method is used to efficiently solve some MILP problems in the solution process. Through a case study on a cogeneration system, the robustness in the annual total cost and primary energy consumption is evaluated and its trade-off relationship is clarified. As a result, it turns out how the values of these performance criteria are close to the optimal ones in relation to the uncertainty in energy demands. This work will be an important step toward developing a multiobjective robust optimal design method.
For the purpose of making a decision in the optimal design of an energy supply system, it is important to investigate not only the optimal solution but also suboptimal ones which follow the optimal one without any omissions, what are called K-best solutions. In this paper, a mixed-integer linear programming method utilizing the hierarchical relationship between design and operation variables proposed previ- ously is extended to search the K-best solutions very efficiently. In addition, methods for updating the incumbents are incorporated into the extended method for three options for the criterion set newly in deriving the K-best solutions. This extended method is implemented into open and commercial MILP solvers, and is applied to illustrative and practical case studies, respectively, on the optimal design of cogeneration systems. Through the studies, it turns out that the proposed method is much superior in terms of solution optimality and computation efficiency to a conventional method, and that the computation efficiency to derive one of the K-best solutions by the proposed method increases with the number of K-best solutions. In addition, features of the K-best solutions in the value of objective function are clarified.
Mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) methods have been applied widely to optimal design of energy supply systems in consideration of multi-period operation. A hierarchical MILP method has been proposed to solve such optimal design problems efficiently. An original problem has been solved by dividing it into a relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level and optimal operation problems which are independent of one another at the lower level. In addition, some strategies have been proposed to enhance the computation efficiency furthermore. In this paper, a method of reducing model by time aggregation is proposed as a novel strategy to search design candidates efficiently in the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level. In addition, the previous strategies are modified in accordance with the novel strategy. This method is realized only by clustering periods and averaging energy demands for clustered periods, while it guarantees to derive the optimal solution. Thus, it may decrease the computation time at the upper level. Through a case study on the optimal design of a gas turbine cogeneration system, it is clarified how the model reduction is effective to enhance the computation efficiency in comparison and combination with the modified previous strategies.
Mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) methods have been applied widely to optimal design of energy supply systems. A hierarchical MILP method has been proposed to solve such optimal design problems efficiently. In addition, some strategies have been proposed to enhance the computation efficiency furthermore. As one of the strategies, a method of reducing model by time aggregation has been proposed to search design candidates efficiently in the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level. In this paper, a method of clustering periods has been proposed based on the optimal operational strategies of the systems to avoid a large decrease in the lower bound for the optimal value of the objective function by model reduction. This method has been realized only by solving the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level in advance. The method can decrease the number of operation variables and constraints at the upper level, and thus can decrease the computation time at the upper level. Through a case study on the optimal design of a gas turbine cogeneration system, it is clarified how the proposed clustering method is effective to enhance the computation efficiency in comparison with the conventional one which clusters periods regularly in time series.
Mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) methods have been applied widely to optimal design of energy supply systems. A hierarchical MILP method has been proposed to solve such optimal design problems efficiently. In addition, some strategies have been proposed to enhance the computation efficiency furthermore. As one of the strategies, a method of reducing model by time aggregation has been proposed to search design candidates efficiently in the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level. In this paper, the hierarchical MILP method with the strategies is extendedly applied to the optimal design of energy supply systems with storage units. Especially, the method of reducing model is extended by aggregating both representative days and sampling times separately in consideration of the characteristics of energy storage units. A case study is conducted on the optimal design of a cogeneration system with a thermal storage tank. Through the study, it turns out the hierarchical MILP method is effective to derive the optimal solutions in short computation times. It also turns out that the model reduction with day and time aggregations is effec- tive to shorten the computation times furthermore when the number of candidates for equipment capacities is relatively small.
Mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) methods have been applied widely to optimal design of en- ergy supply systems in consideration of multi-period operation. A hierarchical MILP method has been proposed to solve such optimal design problems efficiently. An original problem has been solved by dividing it into a relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level and optimal operation problems which are independent of one another at the lower level. In addition, some strategies have been pro- posed to enhance the computation efficiency furthermore. In this paper, a method of reducing model by time aggregation is proposed as a novel strategy to search design candidates efficiently in the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level. In addition, the previous strategies are modified in accor- dance with the novel strategy. This method is realized only by clustering periods and averaging energy demands for clustered periods, while it guarantees to derive the optimal solution. Thus, it may decrease the computation time at the upper level. Through a case study on the optimal design of a gas turbine cogeneration system, it is clarified how the model reduction is effective to enhance the computation efficiency in comparison and combination with the modified previous strategies.