Optimizing Flexible Complex Systems with Coupled and Co-Evolving Subsystems under Operational Uncertainties

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new optimization framework for designing complex systems with coupled subsystems, enabling efficient staged deployment under operational uncertainties, applicable to infrastructure systems like water and energy.

Contribution

It presents a novel local scenario discretization method that decouples weak interactions among subsystems, improving computational efficiency and scalability in system design optimization.

Findings

Effective optimization of staged co-deployment under uncertainty

Decoupling weak interactions reduces computational complexity

Applicable to various infrastructure systems

Abstract

The paper develops a novel design optimization framework and associated computational techniques for staged deployment optimization of complex systems under operational uncertainties. It proposes a local scenario discretization method that offers a computationally efficient approach to optimize staged co-deployment of multiple coupled subsystems by decoupling weak dynamic interaction among subsystems. The proposed method is applied to case studies and is demonstrated to provide an effective and scalable strategy to determine the optimal and flexible systems design under uncertainty. The developed optimization framework is expected to improve the staged deployment design of various complex engineering systems, such as water, energy, food, and other infrastructure systems.