Two decades of blackbox optimization applications

This work reviews blackbox optimization applications over the last twenty years, addressed using direct search optimization methods. Emphasis is placed on the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (MADS) derivative-free optimization algorithm. The core of the document describes applications in three specific fields: Energy, materials science, and computational engineering design. Other applications in science and engineering as … Read more

Use of a Biobjective Direct Search Algorithm in the Process Design of Material Science Applications

This work describes the application of a direct search method to the optimization of problems of real industrial interest, namely three new material science applications designed with the FactSage software. The search method is BiMADS, the biobjective version of the mesh adaptive direct search (MADS) algorithm, designed for blackbox optimization. We give a general description … Read more

Calculating optimal conditions for alloy and process design using thermodynamic and property databases, the FactSage software and the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search algorithm

During alloy and process design, it is often desired to identify regions of design or process variables for which certain calculated functions have optimal values under various constraints, for example: compositions of minimum liquidus temperature in an N-component alloy; compositions where the amount of precipitate in a given phase is maximized or minimized during annealing … Read more

Calculating all local minima on liquidus surfaces using the FactSage software and databases and the Mesh Adaptive Direct Search algorithm

It is often of interest, for a multicomponent system, to identify the low melting compositions at which local minima of the liquidus surface occur. The experimental determination of these minima can be very time-consuming. An alternative is to employ the CALPHAD approach using evaluated thermodynamic databases containing optimized model parameters giving the thermodynamic properties of … Read more