Analysis of a multistate control problem related to food technology

This paper is concerned with an optimal control problem related to the determination of an optimal profile for the steam temperature into the autoclave along the processing of canned foods. The problem studies a system coupling the evolution Navier-Stokes equations with the heat transfer equation by natural convection (the so-called Boussinesq equations), and with the microorganisms removal equation. The essential difficulties in the study of this multistate control problem arise from the lack of uniqueness for the solution of the state system. Here we obtain—after a careful analysis of the problem mathematical formulation—the uniqueness of part of the state, and the existence of optimal solutions.     

Theoretical analysis of an optimal control problem of conductive–convective–radiative heat transfer

The problem of optimal heat removal from a three-dimensional domain is considered. The specific of the study consist in accounting for the radiative heat transfer. The so-called P₁ approximation of the radiative heat transfer equation is used, which reduces the model to a nonlinear elliptic system. A problem of optimal boundary control of this system is considered. The solvability of the control problem is proved, and necessary optimality conditions of first order are derived. Examples of non-singularity of these conditions are given.     

Multilevel optimization for PDAE-constrained optimal control problems with pointwise constraints on control and state

We have developed a fully adaptive optimization environment suitable to solve complex optimal control problems restricted by partial differential algebraic equations (PDAEs) and pointwise constraints on the control [1, 2]. This contribution is devoted to the inclusion of pointwise constraints on the state within the optimization environment. To this end we first give a brief introduction into the architecture of the environment and the inclusion of pointwise constraints on the state by Moreau-Yosida regularization. Then, we test the new tool by applying it to an optimal boundary control problem for the cooling of hot glass down to room temperature, modeled by radiative heat transfer and semi-transparent boundary conditions. (© 2012 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Results on an optimality system in radiative transfer

Optimal control problems for the radiative transfer equation are introduced and formulated. We recall necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for a tracking–type optimization problem using the full radiative transfer equations. We present an optimization algorithms and examples on source inversion problems using the introduced optimality conditions. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

On Optimization of the Full Radiative Heat Transfer System

Solving the full radiative heat transfer equation, moderately discretized in space, time, frequency and direction, results in a tremendously huge system of equations. A common approach to avoid this problem is to use moment methods neglecting the directional dependence on radiation. Our approach, however, is to solve the full radiative heat transfer system with all dependencies and to optimize the heat distribution and the radiative flux, respectively, for a desired temperature function or desired radiative flux function. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Identifying the radiative coefficient of an evolutional type heat conduction equation by optimization method

This paper studies an evolutional type inverse problem of identifying the radiative coefficient of heat conduction equation when the over-specified data is given. Problems of this type have important applications in several fields of applied science. Being different from other ordinary inverse coefficient problems, the unknown coefficient in this paper depends on both the space variable x and the time t. Based on the optimal control framework, the inverse problem is transformed into an optimization problem and a new cost functional is constructed in the paper. The existence, uniqueness and stability of the minimizer of the cost functional are proved, and the necessary conditions which must be satisfied by the minimizer are also given. The results obtained in the paper are interesting and useful, and can be extended to more general parabolic equations.     

Finite Element Analysis of an Optimal Control Problem in the Coefficients of Time-Harmonic Eddy Current Equations

This paper is concerned with an optimal control problem governed by time-harmonic eddy current equations on a Lipschitz polyhedral domain. The controls are given by scalar functions entering in the coefficients of the curl-curl differential operator in the state equation. We present a mathematical analysis of the optimal control problem, including sensitivity analysis, regularity results, existence of an optimal control, and optimality conditions. Based on these results, we study the finite element analysis of the optimal control problem. Here, the state is discretized by the lowest order edge elements of Nédélec??s first family, and the control is discretized by continuous piecewise linear elements. Our main findings are convergence results of the finite element discretization (without a rate).     

Modelling and control of natural convection in canned foods

In this paper we study mathematically an industrial problemrelated to sterilization processes involving heat transfer bynatural convection. We give results of existence and regularityfor the solution of this problem. We recast the whole problemas an optimal control problem with pointwise constraints onthe state and the control in order to ensure the reduction ofmicroorganism concentration and the retention of nutrients,and to save energy. Finally, we give results on existence ofthe optimal solution and optimality conditions for its characterization.     

Adaptive computation for boundary control of radiative heat transfer in glass

This paper is concerned with an optimal boundary control of the cooling down process of glass, an important step in glass manufacturing. Since the computation of the complete radiative heat transfer equations is too complex for optimization purposes, we use simplified approximations of spherical harmonics including a practically relevant frequency bands model. The optimal control problem is considered as a constrained optimization problem. A first-order optimality system is derived and decoupled with the help of a gradient method based on the solution to the adjoint equations. The arising partial differential–algebraic equations of mixed parabolic–elliptic type are numerically solved by a self-adaptive method of lines approach of Rothe type. Adaptive finite elements in space and one-step methods of Rosenbrock-type with variable step sizes in time are applied. We present numerical results for a two-dimensional glass cooling problem.     

Control of complex heat transfer on producing extremal fields

A time-dependent model of complex heat transfer including the P₁ approximation for the equation of radiative transfer is considered. The problem of finding the coefficient in the boundary condition from a given interval, providing the minimum (maximum) temperature and radiation intensity in the entire domain is formulated. The solvability of the control problem is proven, conditions for optimality are obtained, and an iterative algorithm for finding the optimal control is found.     

Large-time behavior of the motion of a viscous heat-conducting one-dimensional gas coupled to radiation

We study the large-time behavior of the solution of an initial-boundary value problem for the equations of 1D motions of a compressible viscous heat-conducting gas coupled to radiation through a radiative transfer equation. Assuming suitable hypotheses on the transport coefficients and adapted boundary conditions, we prove that the unique strong solution of this problem converges toward a well-determined equilibrium state at exponential rate.     

Optimal boundary control of glass cooling processes

In this paper, an optimal control problem for glass cooling processes is studied. We model glass cooling using the SP1 approximations to the radiative heat transfer equations. The control variable is the temperature at the boundary of the domain. This results in a boundary control problem for a parabolic/elliptic system which is treated by a constrained optimization approach. We consider several cost functionals of tracking‐type and formally derive the first‐order optimality system. Several numerical methods based on the adjoint variables are investigated. We present results of numerical simulations illustrating the feasibility and performance of the different approaches. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shape Optimal Design Problem with Convective and Radiative Heat Transfer: Analysis and Implementation

We present a study of an optimal design problem for a coupled system, governed by a steady-state potential flow equation and a thermal equation taking into account radiative phenomena with multiple reflections. The state equation is a nonlinear integro-differential system. We seek to minimize a cost function, depending on the temperature, with respect to the domain of the equations. First, we consider an optimal design problem in an abstract framework and, with the help of the classical adjoint state method, give an expression of the cost function differential. Then, we apply this result in the two-dimensional case to the nonlinear integro-differential system considered. We prove the differentiability of the cost function, introduce the adjoint state equation, and give an expression of its exact differential. Then, we discretize the equations by a finite-element method and use a gradient-type algorithm to decrease the cost function. We present numerical results as applied to the automotive industry.     

Stationary problem of complex heat transfer in a system of semitransparent bodies with boundary conditions of diffuse reflection and refraction of radiation

A boundary value problem describing complex (radiation-conductive) heat transfer in a system of semitransparent bodies is considered. Complex heat transfer is described by a system consisting of a stationary heat equation and an equation of radiative transfer with the boundary conditions of diffuse reflection and diffuse refraction of radiation. The dependence of the radiation intensity and optical properties of bodies on the frequency of radiation is taken into account. The unique existence of the weak solution to this problem is established. The comparison theorem is proven. Estimates of the weak solution are derived, and its regularity is established.     

Solving an optimal control problem for parabolic equations

We consider optimal boundary control of a distributed-parameter system. The system state is described by two parabolic equations of second order, where the coefficients of one equation depend on the gradient of the solution of the second equation. An existence and uniqueness theorem is proved for the optimal control in this problem and the necessary conditions of optimality are derived.Translated from Vychislitel'naya i Prikladnaya Matematika, No. 59, pp. 90–98, 1986.     

A nonstationary problem of complex heat transfer

A nonstationary problem of radiative-convective heat transfer in a three-dimensional region is studied in the framework of the diffusion P ₁-approximation of the radiative heat transfer equation. The problem is proved to be uniquely solvable nonlocally in time, and a stationary equilibrium state is shown to be asymptotically stable.     

Optimal control of random evolutions

We consider a stochastic control problem for a random evolution. We study the Bellman equation of the problem and we prove the existence of an optimal stochastic control which is Markovian. This problem enables us to approximate the general problem of the optimal control of solutions of stochastic differential equations.     

Optimal Control of a Parabolic Equation with Dynamic Boundary Condition

We investigate a control problem for the heat equation. The goal is to find an optimal heat transfer coefficient in the dynamic boundary condition such that a desired temperature distribution at the boundary is adhered. To this end we consider a function space setting in which the heat flux across the boundary is forced to be an L ^p function with respect to the surface measure, which in turn implies higher regularity for the time derivative of temperature. We show that the corresponding elliptic operator generates a strongly continuous semigroup of contractions and apply the concept of maximal parabolic regularity. This allows to show the existence of an optimal control and the derivation of necessary and sufficient optimality conditions.     

Optimal control of a heat transfer problem with convective boundary condition

We consider the problem of controlling the solution of the heat equation with the convective boundary condition taking the heat transfer coefficient as the control. We take as our cost functional the sum of theL ²-norms of the control and the difference between the temperature attained and the desired temperature. We establish the existence of solutions of the underlying initial boundary-value problem and of an optimal control that minimizes the cost functional. We derive an optimality system by formally differentiating the cost functional with respect to the control and evaluating the result at an optimal control. We show how the solution depends in a differentiable way on the control using appropriate a priori estimates. We establish existence and uniqueness of the solution of the optimality system, and thus determine the unique optimal control in terms of the solution of the optimality system.This research was sponsored by the Applied Mathematical Sciences Research Program, Office of Energy Research, U.S. Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-84OR21400 with the Martin Marietta Energy Systems. The authors thank David R. Adams for his assistance in clarifying the proof of Proposition 2.1 and appreciate the comments of the referees for needed revisions.     

A positive solution of an elliptic equation with nonlinear integral boundary condition of the radiation type

The problem for an elliptic equation with a nonlinear integral boundary condition describing, in particular, a stationary radiative heat transfer according to the Stefan-Boltzmann law in a system of blackbodies is considered. Theorems about the existence, uniqueness, and stability of the positive generalized solution are established.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 117–128, July, 1977.The author thanks N. S. Bakhvalov for suggesting the problem and guiding the work.