A Study on the Geometric Optimization of Truss Structures by Decomposition Method

분할최적화 기법에 의한 트러스 구조물의 형상최적화에 관한 연구

Formulation of the geometric optimization for truss structures based on the elasticity theory turn out to be the nonlinear programming problem which has to deal with the cross-sectional area of the member and the coordinates of its nodes simultaneously. A few techniques have been proposed and adopted for the analysis of this nonlinear programming problem for the time being. These techniques, however, bear some limitations on truss shapes, loading conditions and design criteria for the practical application to real structures. A generalized algorithm for the geometric optimization of the truss structures, which can eliminate the above mentioned limitations, is developed in this study. The algorithm proposed utilizes the two-levels technique. In the first level which consists of two phases, the cross-sectional area of the truss member is optimized by transforming the nonlinear problem into SUMT, and solving SUMT utilizing the modified Newton Raphson method. In the second level, which also consists of two phases the geometric shape is optimized utillzing the unindirectional search technique of the Powell method which make it possible to minimize only the objective functlon. The algorithm proposed in this study is numerically tested for several truss structures with various shapes, loading conditions and design criteria, and compared with the results of the other algorithms to examine its applicability and stability. The numerical comparisons show that the two- levels algorithm proposed in this study is safely applicable to any design criteria, and the convergency rate is relatively fast and stable compared with other iteration methods for the geometric optimization of truss structures. It was found for the result of the shape optimization in this study to be decreased greatly in the weight of truss structures in comparison with the shape optimization of the truss utilizing the algorithm proposed with the other area optimum method.