The design of contactors based on the niching multiobjective particle swarm optimization

Contactors are important components in circuits. To solve the multiobjective optimization problems (MOPs) of contactors, a niching multiobjective particle swarm optimization (NMOPSO) with the entropy weight ideal point theory is proposed in this paper. The new algorithm selecting and archiving the nondominated solutions based on the niching theory to ensure the diversity of the nondominated solutions. To avoid missing the extreme solutions of each objective during the multiobjective optimization process, extra particle swarms used to search the independent optimal solution of each objective are supplemented in this algorithm. In order to determine the best compromise solution, a method to select the compromise solution based on entropy weight ideal point theory is also proposed in this paper. Using the algorithm to optimize the characteristics of a typical direct-acting contactor, the results show that the proposed algorithm can obtain the best compromise solution in MOPs.