Simplex Tool for Engineering Optimization

Engineering design and analysis significant fields that are requiring a lot of support from computational methods. Decision support systems and tools those are readily amenable for the engineering community is need of the hour. Optimization algorithms that are specific to engineering applications need focus for enabling high performance computation. Algorithms that are simple enough to implement in desk based excel application has many advantages. Current research makes an attempt to develop an excel based algorithm that can readily be coupled with commercially available tools like ansys, abaqus, nastran leading to high performance in terms of decrease of no of iterations. Engineering optimization helps in meeting requirements of design and analysis of structures that are expected to operate under stringent operating conditions along with requirements on low weight and low operating cost. Genetic algorithm has been a powerful technique which is popularly used for optimization of engineering components. In current research an optimization tool based on genetic algorithm is developed with a random selection of initial population with cross over and mutation probability. A fitness function is build using function to be optimized and constraints like stress and deflection along with limits on variables based on available sizes of components. Typical cross sections for a beam like C-Section, I Section, TSection are optimization for a given stress and strain. The results are compared with published results and are in agreement with published results. The developed tool enables the engineer with options for probability of mutation and cross over along with a termination criteria based on user choice. Standard benchmark problems like pressure vessel design, tension spring etc are solved using this simplex tool. This attempt could successfully develop a tool for performance improvement in engineering computation. Keywords— Optimization, Simplex, GA, Computational performance