• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.541-548
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• 2012

This paper deals with the applicability of extended layerwise optimization method (ELOM) for frequency optimization of laminated composite plates. The design objective is the maximization of the fundamental frequency of the laminated plates. The fibre orientations in the layers are considered as design variables. The first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is used for the finite element solution of the laminates. Finally, the numerical analysis is carried out to show the applicability of extended layerwise optimization algorithm of laminated plates for different parameters such as plate aspect ratios and boundary conditions.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.283-293
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• 2013

This paper deals with the applicability of a new extended layerwise optimization method for thermal buckling load optimization of laminated composite plates. The design objective is the maximization of the critical thermal buckling of the laminated plates. The fibre orientations in the layers are considered as design variables. The first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is used for the finite element solution of the laminates. Finally, the numerical analysis is carried out to show the applicability of extended layerwise optimization algorithm of laminated plates for different parameters such as plate aspect ratios and boundary conditions.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.297-314
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• 2009

A design method is proposed to optimize the stacking sequence of laminated composite plates for desired vibration characteristics. The objective functions are the natural frequencies of the laminated plates, and three types of optimization problems are studied where the fundamental frequency and the difference of two adjacent frequencies are maximized, and the difference between the target and actual frequencies is minimized. The design variables are a set of discrete values of fiber orientation angles with prescribed increment in the layers of the plates. The four lamination parameters are used to describe the bending property of a symmetrically laminated plate, and are optimized by a gradient method in the first stage. A new technique is introduced in the second stage to convert from the optimum four lamination parameters into the stacking sequence that is composed of the optimum fiber orientation angles of all the layers. Plates are divided into sub-domains composed of the small number of layers and designed sequentially from outer domains. For each domain, the optimum angles are determined by minimizing the errors between the optimum lamination parameters obtained in the first step and the parameters for all possible discrete stacking sequence designs. It is shown in numerical examples that this design method can provide with accurate optimum solutions for the stacking sequence of vibrating composite plates with various boundary conditions.