Multiple objective optimization techniques in the synthesis and design of mechanisms

This research deals with the investigation and the development of a comprehensive and unified solution procedure for solving general problems in the synthesis and design of mechanisms. Mechanisms are systems of interconnected links which are typically designed for the purpose of transferring motion and force characteristics from a source to an output. The synthesis and design of mechanisms require solving for the design variables of the system, subject to the set of specified design objectives of the problem. Such design objectives, typically, involve several conflicting and non-commensurable objectives which appear as highly nonlinear functions of the design variables. The method of nonlinear goal programming based on the multiple objective optimization techniques is studied as the solution procedure and determined to be well suited for such problems. The uniqueness of this solution procedure lies in its ability to include all the objectives of the mechanism design problem directly in the optimization process. Employing the method of nonlinear goal programming avoids the need to identify or combine the objectives into a single objective, and also eliminates the need to introduce constraints artificially. The computer implementation of this solution procedure for general mechanism problems is carried out by using the matrix methods of analysis.; One of the main problems during the synthesis of mechanisms is the occurrence of branching. In this research, a general method has been developed for the determination and elimination of branching occurrences in general multiple looped mechanisms. The necessary extensions of this method are also developed in order to address special types of mechanisms such as planar non-dyadic, and spatial mechanisms. The integration of this method into the mechanism design process to guarantee optimal solutions without branching defects is presented.; Based on the nonlinear goal programming optimization model, an interactive, and general purpose computer software program (DAMP) for the modeling, analysis, synthesis, and design of mechanisms is developed. A number of examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the nonlinear goal programming technique in the synthesis and design of mechanisms.