THE FINITE ELEMENT EVALUATION OF SUPPORT BRACKET USING THE APPLICATION OF TOPOLOGICAL OPTIMIZATION

The demand for customized products has increased to suite various needs which could be easily developed using 3D printing technology. Most of the products require optimization for weight minimization which could be done using topological optimization tool. Topology optimization offers conceptual design for lighter and stiffer structures and helps to reach to efficient and aesthetic designs in lesser time. Topological optimization has shown its effectiveness is in improving design of structures with the help of high configuration and fast computing processors. With the use of FEA, the topologically optimized design can be tested which enables to determine design feasibility for different loads and boundary conditions. The current research investigates the application of topological optimization tool in weight minimization of support bracket. The generic design of supporting bracket is developed in Creo design software and structural analysis is conducted using techniques of Finite Element Method. The topological optimization tool enabled to reduce nearly 32% mass without much increase in deformation and stresses. The increase in deformation was found to be 5.6% and is profound in the regions of cylindrical support structure.

Large-Scale Truss-Sizing Optimization with Enhanced Hybrid HS Algorithm

Metaheuristic algorithms currently represent the standard approach to engineering optimization. A very challenging field is large-scale structural optimization, entailing hundreds of design variables and thousands of nonlinear constraints on element stresses and nodal displacements. However, very few studies documented the use of metaheuristic algorithms in large-scale structural optimization. In order to fill this gap, an enhanced hybrid harmony search (HS) algorithm for weight minimization of large-scale truss structures is presented in this study. The new algorithm, Large-Scale Structural Optimization–Hybrid Harmony Search JAYA (LSSO-HHSJA), developed here, combines a well-established method like HS with a very recent method like JAYA, which has the simplest and inherently most powerful search engine amongst metaheuristic optimizers. All stages of LSSO-HHSJA are aimed at reducing the number of structural analyses required in large-scale structural optimization. The basic idea is to move along descent directions to generate new trial designs, directly through the use of gradient information in the HS phase, indirectly by correcting trial designs with JA-based operators that push search towards the best design currently stored in the population or the best design included in a local neighborhood of the currently analyzed trial design. The proposed algorithm is tested in three large-scale weight minimization problems of truss structures. Optimization results obtained for the three benchmark examples, with up to 280 sizing variables and 37,374 nonlinear constraints, prove the efficiency of the proposed LSSO-HHSJA algorithm, which is very competitive with other HS and JAYA variants as well as with commercial gradient-based optimizers.

Weight minimization of fiber laminated composite beam for aircraft wing construction using exhaustive enumeration algorithm and numerical modeling

Purpose This paper aims to focus on calculating the number of layers of composite laminates required to take the applied load made up of graphite/epoxy (AS4/3501-6) which can be used in many industrial applications. Optimization for minimization of weight by variation in the mechanical properties is possible by using different combinations of fiber angle, number of plies and their stacking sequence. Design/methodology/approach Lots of research studies have been put forth by aerospace industry experts to improve the performance of aircraft wings with weight constraints. The orthotropic nature of the laminated composites and their ability to characterize as per various performance requirements of aerospace industry make them the most suitable material. This leads to necessity of implementing most appropriate optimization technique for selecting appropriate parameter sets and material configurations. Findings In this work, exhaustive enumeration algorithm has been applied for weight minimization of fiber laminated composite beam subjected to two different loading conditions by computing overall possible stacking sequences and material properties using classical laminate theory. This combinatorial type optimization technique enumerates all possible solutions with an assurance of getting global optimum solution. Stacking sequences are filtered through Tsai-Wu failure criteria. Originality/value Finally, through the outcome of this optimization framework, eight different combinations of stacking sequences and 24-ply symmetric layup have been obtained. Furthermore, this 24-ply layup weighing 0.468 kg has been validated using finite element solver for given boundary conditions. Interlaminar stresses at top and bottom of the optimized ply layup were validated with Autodesk’s Helius composites solver.