• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.373-382
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• 1995

The weighting strategy has received a great attention and has been widely applied to multicriterion optimization. This gaper examines a global criterion method (GCM) with the weighting objectives strategy in fuzzy structural engineering problems. Fuzziness of those problems are in their design goals, constraints and variables. Most of the constraints are originated from analysis of engineering mechanics. The GCM is verified to be equivalent to fuzzy goal programming via a truss design. Continued and mixed discrete variable spaces are presented and examined using a fuzzy global criterion method (FGCM). In the design process a weighting parameter with fuzzy information is introduced into the design and decision making. We use a uniform machine-tool spindle as an illustrative example in continuous design space. Fuzzy multicriterion optimization in mixed design space is illustrated by the design of mechanical spring stacks. Results show that weighting strategy in FGCM can generate both the best compromise solution and a set of Pareto solutions in fuzzy environment. Weighting technique with fuzziness provides a more relaxed design domain, which increases the satisfying degree of a compromise solution or improves the final design.

• International Journal of CAD/CAM
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2007

In density-based topology optimization, 0/1 solutions are sought. Discrete topological problems are often relaxed with continuous design variables so that they can be solved using continuous mathematical programming. Although the relaxed methods are practical, grey areas appear in the optimum topologies. SIMP (Solid Isotropic Microstructures with Penalization) employs penalty schemes to suppress the intermediate densities. SRV (the Sum of the Reciprocal Variables) drives the solution to a 0/1 layout with the SRV constraint. However, both methods cannot effectively remove all the grey areas. SRV has some numerical aspects. In this work, a new scheme SIMP-SRV is proposed by combining SIMP and SRV approaches, where SIMP is employed to generate an intermediate solution to initialize the design variables and SRV is then adopted to produce the final design. The new method turned out to be very effective in conjunction with the method of moving asymptotes (MMA) when using for the stiffness topology optimization of continuum structures for minimum compliance. The numerical examples show that the hybrid technique can effectively remove all grey areas and generate stiffer optimal designs characterized with a sharper boundary in contrast to SIMP and SRV.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2007

A new design approach of complex geometries such as wing/body configuration is arranged by using overset mesh techniques under large scale computing environment. For an in-depth study of the flow physics and highly accurate design, several special overlapped structured blocks such as collar grid, tip-cap grid, and etc. which are commonly used in refined drag prediction are adopted to consider the applicability of the present design tools to practical problems. Various pre- and post-processing techniques for overset flow analysis and sensitivity analysis are devised or implemented to resolve overset mesh techniques into the design optimization problem based on Gradient Based Optimization Method (GBOM). In the pre-processing, the convergence characteristics of the flow solver and sensitivity analysis are improved by overlap optimization method. Moreover, a new post-processing method, Spline-Boundary Intersecting Grid (S-BIG) scheme, is proposed by considering the ratio of cell area for more refined prediction of aerodynamic coefficients and efficient evaluation of their sensitivities under parallel computing environment. With respect to the sensitivity analysis, discrete adjoint formulations for overset boundary conditions are derived by a full hand-differentiation. A smooth geometric modification on the overlapped surface boundaries and evaluation of grid sensitivities can be performed by mapping from planform coordinate to the surface meshes with Hicks-Henne function. Careful design works for the drag minimization problems of a transonic wing and a wing/body configuration are performed by using the newly-developed and -applied overset mesh techniques. The results from design applications demonstrate the capability of the present design approach successfully.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.247-257
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• 2023

In structural health monitoring of large-scale structures, optimal sensor placement plays an important role because of the high cost of sensors and their supporting instruments, as well as the burden of data transmission and storage. In this study, a vibration sensor placement algorithm based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is proposed, which can effectively solve non-convex, high-dimensional, and discrete combinatorial sensor placement optimization problems. An objective function is constructed to estimate the quality of a specific vibration sensor placement scheme according to the modal assurance criterion (MAC). Using this objective function, a DRL-based algorithm is presented to determine the optimal vibration sensor placement scheme. Subsequently, we transform the sensor optimal placement process into a Markov decision process and employ a DRL-based optimization algorithm to maximize the objective function for optimal sensor placement. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed method, two examples are presented: a 10-story braced frame and a sea-crossing bridge model. A comparison study is also performed with a genetic algorithm and particle swarm algorithm. The proposed DRL-based algorithm can effectively solve the discrete combinatorial optimization problem for vibration sensor placements and can produce superior performance compared with the other two existing methods.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.367-378
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• 2022

In this study, combined size and shape optimization of spatial truss tower structures are presented by using new optimization algorithms named Rao-1, and Rao-2. The nodal displacements, allowable stress and buckling for compressive members are taken into account as structural constraints for truss towers. The discrete and continuous design variables are used as design variables for size and shape optimization. To show the efficiency of the proposed optimization algorithm, 25-bar, and 39-bar 3D truss towers are solved for combined size and shape optimization. The 72-bar, and 160-bar 3D truss towers are solved only by size optimization. The optimal results obtained from this study are compared to those given in the literature to illustrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed algorithm. The structural analysis and the optimization process are coded in MATLAB programming.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.20 no.44
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• pp.93-101
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• 1997

This paper describes the application of Genetic Algorithms(GAs) to nonlinear constrained mixed optimization problems. Genetic Algorithms are combinatorial in nature, and therefore are computationally suitable for treating discrete and integer design variables. But, several problems that conventional GAs are ill defined are application of penalty function that can be adapted to transform a constrained optimization problem into an unconstrained one and premature convergence of solution. Thus, we developed an improved GAs to solve this problems, and two examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology developed in this paper.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.655-656
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• 2008

This research presents a topology optimization to minimize eddy current loss maintaining mechanical robustness of structure part in electrical machines A design sensitivity equation for the topology optimization is derived by employing the discrete system equations combined with the adjoint variable method. As a numerical example, frame design of a C-core actuator is performed by the proposed method.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1353-1355
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• 2003

Genetic algorithms (GA) is a well known technique that is capable of handling multiobjective functions and discrete constraints in the process of numerical optimization. Together with the Pareto ranking scheme, more than one possible solution can be obtained despite the imposed constraints and multi-criteria design functions. In view of this unique capability, the design of the log-periodic dipole antenna array (LPDA) using this special feature is proposed in this paper. This method also provides gain, front-back level and S parameter design tradeoff for the LPDA design in broadband application at no extra computational cost.

• Journal of the Architectural Institute of Korea Structure & Construction
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.135-142
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• 2019

Ant colony optimization(ACO) technique is utilized in truss size optimization with frequency constraints. Total weight of truss to be minimized is considered as the objective function and multiple natural frequencies are adopted as constraints. The modified traveling salesman problem(TSP) is adopted and total length of the TSP tour is interpreted as the weight of the structure. The present ACO-based design optimization procedure uses discrete design variables and the penalty function is introduced to enforce design constraints during optimization process. Three numerical examples are carried out to verify the capability of ACO in truss optimization with frequency constraints. From numerical results, the present ACO is a very effective way of finding optimum design of truss structures in free vibration. Finally, we provide the present numerical results as future reference solutions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.520-525
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• 2024

The optimization design problem of nuclear reactor radiation shield is a typical multi-objective optimization problem with almost 10 sub-objectives and the sub-objectives are always demanded to be under tolerable limits. In this paper, a design method combining multi-objective optimization algorithms with paralleling discrete ordinate transportation code is developed and applied to shield design of the Savannah nuclear reactor. Three approaches are studied for light-weighted and compact design of radiation shield. Comparing with directly optimization with 10 objectives and the single-objective optimization, the approach by setting sub-objectives representing weight and volume as optimization objectives while treating other sub-objectives as constraints has the best performance, which is more suitable to reactor shield design.