An integrated multidisciplinary particle swarm optimization approach to conceptual ship design

A particle swarm optimization (PSO) solver is developed based on theoretical information available from the literature. The implementation is validated by utilizing the PSO optimizer as a driver for a single discipline optimization and for a multicriterion optimization and comparing the results to a commercially available gradient based optimization algorithm, previously published results, and a simple sequential Monte Carlo model. A typical conceptual ship design statement from the literature is employed for developing the single discipline and the multicriterion benchmark optimization statements. In the main new effort presented in this paper, an approach is developed for integrating the PSO algorithm as a driver at both the top and the discipline levels of a multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) framework which is based on the Target Cascading (TC) method. The integrated MDO/PSO algorithm is employed for analyzing a multidiscipline optimization statement reflecting the conceptual ship design problem from the literature. Results are compared to MDO analyses performed when a gradient based optimizer comprised the optimization driver at all levels. The results, the strengths, and the weaknesses of the integrated MDO/PSO algorithm are discussed as related to conceptual ship design.