• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.169-184
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• 2017

The optimum design of structures with frequency constraints is of great importance in the aeronautical industry. In order to avoid severe vibration, it is necessary to shift the fundamental frequency of the structure away from the frequency range of the dynamic loading. This paper develops a novel topology optimisation method for optimising the fundamental frequencies of structures. The finite element dynamic eigenvalue problem is solved to derive the sensitivity function used for the optimisation criteria. An alternative material interpolation scheme is developed and applied to the optimisation problem. A novel level-set criteria and updating routine for the weighting factors is presented to determine the optimal topology. The optimisation algorithm is applied to a simple two-dimensional plane stress plate to verify the method. Optimisation for maximising a chosen frequency and maximising the gap between two frequencies are presented. This has the application of stiffness maximisation and flutter suppression. The results of the optimisation algorithm are compared with the state of the art in frequency topology optimisation. Test cases have shown that the algorithm produces similar topologies to the state of the art, verifying that the novel technique is suitable for frequency optimisation.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2011

With the increasing number of vehicles in use in our daily life and the rise of traffic congestion problems, many methods and models have been developed for real time optimisation of traffic lights. Nevertheless, most methods which consider real time physical queue sizes of vehicles waiting for green lights overestimate the optimal cycle length for such real traffic control. This paper deals with the development of a generic hybrid model describing both physical traffic flows and control of signalised intersections. The firing times assigned to the transitions of the control part are considered dynamic and are calculated by a simplified optimisation method. This method is based on splitting green times proportionally to the predicted queue sizes through input links for each new cycle time. The proposed model can be easily translated into a control code for implementation in a real time control system.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.111-126
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• 1999

The work presented here focuses on the development of suitable discretised formulations, for large-displacement shape and non-shape design sensitivity analysis (DSA), which enable the straightforward incorporation of structural optimisation into established finite element analysis (FEA) codes. For the generalised displacement-based functional the design sensitivity vector has been expressed in terms of displacement sensitivity. The Total Lagrangian formulation is utilised for modelling of large deformation of truss structures. The variational formulation of the sensitivity analysis procedure is discretised by using "pseudo" - finite elements, Results are presented for the sensitivity analysis and optimisation of standard truss structures. For the purposes of this work, the analysis and optimisation procedures outlined below are incorporated into the FEA code ABAQUS.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.185-199
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• 2020

A computationally-efficient method for multi-criteria optimisation is developed for performance-based seismic design of friction energy dissipation dampers in RC structures. The proposed method is based on the concept of Uniform Distribution of Deformation (UDD), where the slip-load distribution along the height of the structure is gradually modified to satisfy multiple performance targets while minimising the additional loads imposed on existing structural elements and foundation. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated through optimisation of 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20-storey RC frames with friction wall dampers subjected to design representative earthquakes using single and multi-criteria optimisation scenarios. The optimum design solutions are obtained in only a few steps, while they are shown to be independent of the selected initial slip loads and convergence factor. Optimum frames satisfy all predefined design targets and exhibit up to 48% lower imposed loads compared to designs using a previously proposed slip-load distribution. It is also shown that dampers designed with optimum slip load patterns based on a set of spectrum-compatible synthetic earthquakes, on average, provide acceptable design solutions under multiple natural seismic excitations representing the design spectrum.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.385-404
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• 2018

The study investigated an area of sustainable structural design that is often overlooked in practical engineering applications. Specifically, a novel method to simultaneously optimise the cost and embodied carbon performance of steel building structures was explored in this paper. To achieve this, a parametric design model was developed to analyse code compliant structural configurations based on project specific constraints and rigorous testing of various steel beam sections, floor construction typologies (precast or composite) and column layouts that could not be performed manually by engineering practitioners. Detailed objective functions were embedded in the model to compute the cost and life cycle carbon emissions of the different material types used in the structure. Results from a comparative numerical analysis of a real case study illustrated that the proposed optimisation approach could guide structural engineers towards areas of the solution space with realistic design configurations, enabling them to effectively evaluate trade-offs between cost and carbon performance. This significant contribution implied that the optimisation model could reduce the time required for the design and analysis of multiple structural configurations especially during the early stages of a project. Overall, the paper suggested that the deployment of automated design procedures can enhance the quality as well as the efficiency of the optimisation analysis.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.661-669
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• 2018

Engineering system problems consist of multi-objective optimisation and the performance analysis is generally time consuming. To optimise the system concerning its performance, many researchers perform the optimisation using an approximation model. The Response Surface Method (RSM) is usually used to predict the system performance in many research fields, but it shows prediction errors for highly nonlinear problems. To create an appropriate metamodel for marine systems, Lee (2015) compares the prediction accuracy of the approximation model, and multi-objective optimal design framework is proposed based on a confirmed approximation model. The proposed framework is composed of three parts: definition of geometry, generation of approximation model, and optimisation. The major objective of this paper is to confirm the applicability/usability of the proposed optimal design framework and evaluate the prediction accuracy based on sensitivity analysis. We have evaluated the proposed framework applicability in derrick structure optimisation considering its structural performance.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.633-641
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• 1998

Finite element solutions are presented for the optimal design of symmetrically laminated rectangular plates with various types of internal line supports. These plates are subject to a combination of simply supported, clamped and free boundary conditions. The design objective is the maximisation of the biaxial buckling load. This is achieved by determining the fibre orientations optimally with the effects of bending-twisting coupling taken into account. The finite element method coupled with an optimisation routine is employed in analysing and optimising the laminated plate designs. The effect of internal line support type and boundary conditions on the optimal ply angles and the buckling load are numerically studied. The laminate behavior with respect to fibre orientation changes significantly in the presence of internal line supports as compared to that of a laminate where there is no internal supporting. This change in behavior has significant implications for design optimisation as the optimal values of design variables with or without internal supporting differ substantially.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.715-726
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• 2010

In this paper, a comparative study of metallic and non-metallic stiffened plates under a lateral pressure load is performed using conventional statistically determinate and SQP(Sequential Quadratic Programming) optimisation approaches. Initially, a metallic flat-bar stiffened plate is exemplified from the superstructure of a marine vessel and, subsequently, its structural topology is varied as hat-section stiffened FRP(Fibre Reinforced Plastics) single skin plates and monocoque FRP sandwich plates having a PVC foam core. These proposed structural alternatives are analysed using elastic closed-form solutions and SQP optimisation method under stress and deflection limits obtained from practice to calculate and optimise geometry dimensions and weights. Results obtained from the comparative study provide useful information for marine designers especially at the preliminary design stage where various building materials and structural configurations are dealt with.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.551-559
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• 1999

This paper presents some simple thinking on an age-old question that given a bridge of a certain span and loading, from the point of view of the structural efficiency, where should the bridge deck be positioned? Generally, this decision is made for other reasons than structural efficiency such as aesthetics and the analyst is often presented with a fait accompli. Using the recently invented Evolutional Structural Optimisation (ESO) method, it is possible to demonstrate that having the deck at different vertical locations can lead to a very different mass and shape for each structural form resembling cable-stayed and cable-truss bridges. By monitoring a performance index which is the function of stresses and volume of discretised finite elements, the best optimised structure can be easily determined and the bridge deck positioning problem can be efficiently solved without resorting to any complex analysis procedures.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.08a
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• pp.70.1-70.1
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• 2008