Surrogate assisted local search in PMSM drive design

Purpose – This paper aims to propose a reliable local search algorithm having steepest descent pivot rule for computationally expensive optimization problems. In particular, an application to the design of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) drives is shown. Design/methodology/approach – A surrogate assisted Hooke-Jeeves algorithm (SAHJA) is proposed. The SAHJA is a local search algorithm with the structure of the Hooke-Jeeves algorithm, which employs a local surrogate model dynamically constructed during the exploratory move at each step of the optimization process. Findings – Several numerical experiments have been designed. These experiments are carried out both on the simulation model (off-line) and at the actual plant (on-line). Moreover, the off-line experiments have been considered in non-noisy and noisy cases. The numerical results show that use of the SAHJA leads to a saving in terms of computational cost without requiring any extra hardware components. Originality/value – The surrogate approach in the design of electric drives is novel. In addition, implementation of the proposed surrogate model allows the algorithm not only to reduce computational cost but also to filter noise caused by the sensors and measurement devices. © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited