Optimal design of separation cascades using the whale optimization algorithm

High-fidelity simulation tools are required to treat isotope separation cascades. In the present work, a multi-objective optimization method based on Whale Optimization Algorithm, WOA, is developed to obtain the optimal parameters of recycling cascades for separating the binary mixture of isotopes. Detail treatment and simulation of isotope separation phenomena are critical in the economic aspect. The WOA is a novel meta-heuristic algorithm which imitates the bubble-net hunting strategy used by humpback whales in looking for food. In this analysis, the WOA is implemented for benchmark functions and its capabilities demonstrated; in the next step, it is enforced for main real problems such as isotope separation cascades to minimize the total number of centrifuges and flow rates in the process. The optimization results are evaluated against other well-known schemes. It is revealed the outcomes of WOA are in good agreement with those obtained by the conventional methods.(c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.