Advanced Simulation-Inserted Optimization Using Combined Quasi-Newton Method With Lagrangian Method for EM-Based Design Optimization

Abstract

Traditional electromagnetic (EM)-based design optimizations typically treat the EM simulation as a black-box and use optimization algorithms to externally drive EM simulations iteratively. Recently, a novel EM-based design optimization technique, named as simulation-inserted optimization (SIO) in this article, has been developed by opening the black-box and inserting the optimization algorithm into the internal of EM simulation to achieve EM field solutions and the optimal values of design variables simultaneously. This article proposes an advanced SIO algorithm using combined quasi-Newton method with Lagrangian method. In the proposed algorithm, the finite element method (FEM) is used as the EM simulation method, and the Lagrangian method is incorporated to internally integrate EM simulation with design optimization. New formulations based on quasi-Newton method are derived to approximate the computationally intensive lower upper (LU) decomposition of the FEM system matrix in the current optimization iteration by that in the previous optimization iteration to significantly reduce the number of LU decompositions. The proposed SIO technique further derives novel optimization update formulations by introducing the line search algorithm to increase the robustness of optimization. Using the proposed SIO algorithm, only a few initial LU decompositions of FEM system matrices need to be calculated instead of repetitively calculating a large number of LU decompositions of FEM system matrices during optimization, consequently speeding up the overall optimization process. The proposed technique is demonstrated by two application examples of EM-based design optimization of microwave components.