Network planning and design

About: Network planning and design is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 12393 publications have been published within this topic receiving 229776 citations. The topic is also known as: network design.

Stochastic transportation network design problem with spatial equity constraint

Abstract: Equity issues and demand uncertainty are two important issues in the network design problem (NDP). Spatial equity in NDP is concerned with the benefit distribution among network users. By considering demand uncertainty, a more realistic evaluation of the network performance given a network improvement plan can be obtained. Two stochastic models that consider both spatial equity and demand uncertainty are formulated: an expected-value model and a chance-constrained model. Both models are solved by a simulation-based genetic algorithm procedure. The genetic algorithm is used to solve NDP, and stochastic simulation is used to simulate the demand uncertainty. The results of numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the significance of the equity issue and demand uncertainty in NDP.

Biomimetic reliability strategies for self-healing vascular networks in engineering materials.

Abstract: Self-healing via a vascular network is an active research topic, with several recent publications reporting the application and optimization of these systems. This work represents the first consideration of the probable failure modes of a self-healing system as a driver for network design. The critical failure modes of a proposed self-healing system based on a vascular network were identified via a failure modes, effects and criticality analysis and compared to those of the human circulatory system. A range of engineering and biomimetic design concepts to address these critical failure modes is suggested with minimum system mass the overall design driver for high-performance systems. Plant vasculature has been mimicked to propose a segregated network to address the risk of fluid leakage. This approach could allow a network to be segregated into six separate paths with a system mass penalty of only approximately 25%. Fluid flow interconnections that mimic the anastomoses of animal vasculatures can be used within a segregated network to balance the risk of failure by leakage and blockage. These biomimetic approaches define a design space that considers the existing published literature in the context of system reliability.

Methods and apparatus for network use optimization

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assessing network traffic loads, separating the network traffic into the traffic classes either with or without specific client priority/business input, and managing the allocation of available network resources based on the class of the traffic. Differentiated traffic classes of communication services, such as time sensitive and non-time sensitive, may be specified via a set of parameters to permit a network to provide corresponding services that result in a guaranteed amount of available network resources, such as bandwidth. The set of parameters allows the network operator to categorize each type of network traffic into traffic classes and designate a predetermined level of network resources per class, thereby achieving the QoS—Quality of Service—and predictable traffic service performance guarantee appropriate to the needs of the end users of the network in a multi-class, multi-priority network environment.

Application of Ant System to network design problem

Abstract: Network design problem (NDP) is the problem of choosing from among a set of alternative projects which optimizes an objective (e.g., minimizes total travel time), while keeping consumption of resources (e.g., budget) within their limits. This problem is difficult to solve, because of its combinatorial nature and nonconvexity of the objective function. Many algorithms are presented to solve the problem more efficiently, while trading-off accuracy with computational speed. This increase in speed stems from certain approximations in the formulation of the problem, decomposition, or heuristics. This study adapts a meta – heuristic approach to solve NDP, namely Ant System (AS). The algorithm is first designed, and then calibrated to solve NDP for the Sioux Falls test network. The behavior of the algorithm is then investigated. The result seems encouraging.