A simulated annealing-based algorithm using hierarchical models for general three-dimensional component layout

An efficient simulated annealing-based algorithm which optimizes component layout is presented. The efficiency comes in the algorithm's ability to calculate component overlap quickly by taking advantage of a hierarchical decomposition of the model's geometry. The result is an algorithm able to optimize the placement of components of arbitrary geometry inside an arbitrarily shaped container over multiple design goals and subject to inter-component spatial and performance constraints. The algorithm is demonstrated on test problems of known solution, and a variety of industrial problems of a priori unknown solution.