The placement of wind turbines on a given area of land such that the wind farm produces a maximum amount of energy is a challenging optimization problem. In this article, we tackle this problem, taking into account wake effects that are produced by the different turbines on the wind farm. We significantly improve upon existing results for the minimization of wake effects by developing a new problem-specific local search algorithm. One key step in the speed-up of our algorithm is the reduction in computation time needed to assess a given wind farm layout compared to previous approaches. Our new method allows the optimization of large real-world scenarios within a single night on a standard computer, whereas weeks on specialized computing servers were required for previous approaches.
The overall structure of this new edition is three-tier: Part I presents the basics, Part II is concerned with methodological issues, and Part III discusses advanced topics. In the second edition the authors have reorganized the material to focus on problems, how to represent them, and then how to choose and design algorithms for different representations. They also added a chapter on problems, reflecting the overall book focus on problem-solvers, a chapter on parameter tuning, which they combined with the parameter control and "how-to" chapters into a methodological part, and finally a chapter on evolutionary robotics with an outlook on possible exciting developments in this field. The book is suitable for undergraduate and graduate courses in artificial intelligence and computational intelligence, and for self-study by practitioners and researchers engaged with all aspects of bioinspired design and optimization.  From the Publisher: This book brings together - in an informal and tutorial fashion - the computer techniques, mathematical tools, and research results that will enable both students and practitioners to apply genetic algorithms to problems in many fields. Major concepts are illustrated with running examples, and major algorithms are illustrated by Pascal computer programs. No prior knowledge of GAs or genetics is assumed, and only a minimum of computer programming and mathematics background is required.