Multi‐level design optimization using target cascading, an improvement of convergence

Abstract

Purpose Analytical target cascading (ATC) is a hierarchical multi‐level design methodology. According to the state‐of‐the‐art, it is confirmed that for problems with unattainable targets, strict design consistency cannot be achieved with finite weighting factors. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach A new formulation is proposed to improve the ATC convergence. The weighted sum of deviation metric is transformed into a multi‐objective formulation. An original optimization problem with a single global optimal solution is used as a benchmark. Findings It is found that carrying out an industrial application to design optimally a tram traction system demonstrates the efficiency of the proposed solution. Originality/value This paper is of value in showing how to improve the convergence of a multi‐level optimization algorithm by best management of the consistency constraints.