Optimization Of Composite Structures Based On Modified Ant Colony Algorithm

Composite materials have been widely used in various fields becauseof their superior characteristics. Thus, optimization design of compositestructures has drawn considerable attention in recent years. As one of theintelligent algorithms, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) shows excellentperformance of global search abilities. Therefore, it is valuable to analysisthe applicability of ACO in optimization design of composite structures.The theory of traditional ACO was first introduced. Because of thedrawbacks in the coding and pheromone updating strategy of thetraditional ACO, some significant modifications were made. Effectivenessand accuracy of the modified algorithm were analyzed and the parametersselection was studied in this paper as well.The optimization design methodology based on the modified ACO wasproposed. By employing Patran Command Language (PCL) for parametricmodeling, ACO could be easily incorporated in finite element analysis,which was useful for structure optimization design.The proposed design methodology was applied in composite plates forbuckling optimization. Compared to other algorithms, the validation andversatility were demonstrated.Coupled with the FEM parametric modeling technique, modified ACOwas successfully used to design the geometry of composite specimen in thebiaxial load test.