• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
• /
• v.20 no.10
• /
• pp.1541-1547
• /
• 2006

An efficient procedure to obtain the optimal stacking sequence and the minimum weight of stiffened laminated composite curved panels under several loading conditions and stiffener layouts has been developed based on the finite element method and the genetic algorithm that is powerful for the problem with integer variables. Often, designing composite laminates ends up with a stacking sequence optimization that may be formulated as an integer programming problem. This procedure is applied for a problem to find the stacking sequence having a maximum critical buckling load factor and the minimum weight. The object function in this case is the weight of a stiffened laminated composite shell. Three different types of stiffener layouts with different loading conditions are investigated to see how these parameters influence on the stacking sequence optimization of the panel and the stiffeners. It is noticed from the results that the optimal stacking sequence and lay-up angles vary depending on the types. of loading and stiffener spacing.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.411-418
• /
• 2005

This paper expounds the development of a user-friendly expert system for the optimal stacking sequence design of composite laminates subjected to the various rules constraints. The expert system was realized in the graphic-based design environment. Therefore, users can access and use the system easily. The optimal stacking sequence is obtained by means of integration of a genetic algorithm, finite element analysis. These systems were integrated with the rules of design heuristics under an expert system shell. The optimal stacking sequence combination for the application of interest is drawn from the discrete ply angles and design rules stored in the knowledge base of the expert system. For the integration and management of softwares, a graphic-based design environment that provides multi-tasking and graphic user interface capability is built.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.233-236
• /
• 2002

An efficient method was developed in this study to obtain optimal stacking sequences, thicknesses, and minimum weights of stiffened laminated composite shells under combined loading conditions and stiffener layouts using genetic algorithms (GAs) and finite element analyses. Among many parameters in designing composite laminates determining a optimal stacking sequence that may be formulated as an integer programming problem is a primary concern. Of many optimization algorithms, GAs are powerful methodology for the problem with discrete variables. In this paper the optimal stacking sequence was determined, which gives the maximum critical buckling load factor and the minimum weight as well. To solve this problem, both the finite element analysis by ABAQUS and the GA-based optimization procedure have been implemented together with an interface code. Throughout many parametric studies using this analysis tool, the influences of stiffener sizes and three different types of stiffener layouts on the stacking sequence changes were throughly investigated subjected to various combined loading conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.369-380
• /
• 2001

Although extensive efforts have been devoted to the optimal design of composite laminated plates in recent years, some practical issues still need further research. Two of them are: the handling of the ply angle as either continuous or discrete; and that of the uncertainties in material properties, which were treated as continuous and ignored respectively in most researches in the past. In this paper, an algorithm for stacking sequence optimization which deals with discrete ply angles and that for thickness optimization which considers uncertainties in material properties are used for a two step optimization of composite laminated plates. In the stacking sequence optimization, the branch and bound method is modified to handle discrete variables; and in the thickness optimization, the convex modeling is used in calculating the failure criterion, given as constraint, to consider the uncertain material properties. Numerical results show that the optimal stacking sequence is found with fewer evaluations of objective function than expected with the size of feasible region taken into consideration; and the optimal thickness increases when the uncertainties of elastic moduli considered, which shows such uncertainties should not be ignored for safe and reliable designs.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.239-268
• /
• 2007

This paper deals with optimal stacking sequence design of laminate composite structures. The stacking sequence optimisation of laminate composites is formulated as a combinatorial problem and is solved using Simulated Annealing (SA), an algorithm devised based on inspiration of physical process of annealing of solids. The combinatorial constraints are handled using a correction strategy. The SA algorithm is strengthened by embedding Tabu search in order to prevent recycling of recently visited solutions and the resulting algorithm is referred to as tabu embedded simulated Annealing (TSA) algorithm. Computational performance of the proposed TSA algorithm is enhanced through cache-fetch implementation. Numerical experiments have been conducted by considering rectangular composite panels and composite cylindrical shell with different ply numbers and orientations. Numerical studies indicate that the TSA algorithm is quite effective in providing practical designs for lay-up sequence optimisation of laminate composites. The effect of various neighbourhood search algorithms on the convergence characteristics of TSA algorithm is investigated. The sensitiveness of the proposed optimisation algorithm for various parameter settings in simulated annealing is explored through parametric studies. Later, the TSA algorithm is employed for multi-criteria optimisation of hybrid composite cylinders for simultaneously optimising cost as well as weight with constraint on buckling load. The two objectives are initially considered individually and later collectively to solve as a multi-criteria optimisation problem. Finally, the computational efficiency of the TSA based stacking sequence optimisation algorithm has been compared with the genetic algorithm and found to be superior in performance.

• Composites Research
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2007

This study presents a methodology for optimization of static characteristics of golf club shafts. Stacking sequence for the optimal composite shaft performance is searched. A new objective function is defined for the simultaneous optimization of flexural and torsional stiffnesses. Classical lamination theory is used for the static analysis. As the optimization tool, genetic algorithm is applied with the stacking sequence as design. variables. With the optimal stacking sequence, dynamic characteristics of the shaft is also studied.

• Korean Journal of Computational Design and Engineering
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.107-121
• /
• 1996

An optimization procedure is proposed to determine the optimal stacking sequence on the buckling of laminated composite plates with midplane symmetry under various loading conditions. Classical lamination theory is used for the determination of the critical buckling load of simply supported angle-ply laminates. Analysis is performed by the Galerkin method and Rayleigh-Ritz method. The approximate solution of buckling is replaced by the algorithms that produce generalized eigenvalue problem. Direct search technique is employed to solve the optimization problem effectively. A series of computations is carried out for plates having different aspect ratios, different load ratios and different number of lay-ups.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.637-652
• /
• 2007

This paper presents stacking sequence optimization of laminated angle-ply cylindrical panel based on natural frequency. Finite element method (FEM) is used to obtain the vibration characteristic of an anisotropic panel using the first order shear deformation theory(FSDT) and genetic algorithm (GA) is used to obtain the optimal stacking sequence of the layers. Cylindrical panel has finite length and arbitrary boundary conditions. The thicknesses of the layers are assumed constant and their angles are specified as design variables. The effect of the number of plies and boundary conditions in the fitness function is considered. Numerical examples are presented for four, six and eight layered anisotropic cylindrical panels.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2001.06a
• /
• pp.734-739
• /
• 2001

In this paper, an algorithm for stacking sequence optimization which deals with discrete ply angles is used for optimization of composite laminated plates. To handle discrete ply angles, the branch and bound method is modified. Numerical results show that the optimal stacking sequence is found with fewer evaluations of objective function than expected with the size of feasible region, which shows the algorithm can be effectively used for layup optimization of composite laminates..

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.24 no.5 s.176
• /
• pp.1193-1202
• /
• 2000

The paper describes the use of genetic algorithms (GA's) to the minimum weight design of stiffened composite panels for buckling constraints. The proposed design problem is characterized by mixture of continuous and discrete design variables corresponding to panel elements and stacking sequence of laminates, respectively. Design space is multimodal and non-convex, thereby introducing the need for global search strategies. Advanced strategies in GA's such as directed crossover, multistage search and separated crossover are adopted to improve search ability and to save computational resource requirements. The paper explores the effectiveness of genetic algorithms and their advanced strategies in designing stiffened composite panels under various uniaxial compressive load conditions and the linrlit on stacking sequence of laminates.