44th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Confere AIAA 2003-1698
7-10 April 2003, Norfolk, Virginia
MINIMUM WEIGHT OPTIMIZATION OF COMPOSITE
STIFFENED PANELS USING NEURAL NETWORKS
Luca Lanzi* and Chiara Bisagni
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Aerospaziale - Politecnico di Milano
Via La Masa 34, 20158 Milano, Italy
ABSTRACT behavior as collapse load, first ply failure and
This paper deals with the definition of an residual stiffness after local buckling occurred. This
optimization procedure for the design of composite is mainly due to the high computational efforts
stiffened panels subjected to axial compression required to predict post-buckling behavior. Besides
loads and post-buckling constraints. The structures highly nonlinear constraints have to be considered
have to work in post-buckling field with local skin during the optimization and, for this reason, the
buckling between stiffeners and with high ratios number of function evaluations can greatly
between collapse and buckling loads. The increase.
optimization procedure is based on global To overcome these computational difficulties
approximation strategies and genetic algorithms. optimization procedures based on global
Systems of neural networks trained by using a approximation strategies can be exploited. In 2002,
minimum set of finite element analyses are Rikards et Auzins7 used polynomial approximation
proficiently used to predict structural behavior in post-buckling optimization of composite
inside the optimization domain. The use of a global stiffened panels. The same authors of this paper
approximation strategy reduces considerably proposed a similar procedure8 where global
computational efforts also offering the complete approximation is based on artificial neural
separation between system modeling and networks.
optimization problem. This paper illustrates new improvements of the
This aspect is here exploited to carry out general original optimization procedure for the design of
guidelines in the design of stiffened composite stiffened composite panels in order to account
panels by drawing response surfaces of some strength constraints directly during the optimization
meaningful structural indices and performing two process. The procedure, based on global
different minimum weight optimizations changing approximation strategy by artificial neural networks
typology and values of the constraints. and genetic algorithms, is here applied considering
different kinds and values of constraints.
The works is part of a larger research project,
INTRODUCTION “POSICOSS – Improved Post-buckling Simulation
One of the new and most promising perspective of for Design of Fibre Composite Stiffened Fuselage
aircraft industries is the possibility to greatly extend Structures”, supported by the European
the use of stiffened panels made by composite Commission mainly oriented to improve the
materials to primary structures with the intent to knowledge of the post-buckling behavior of
reduce considerably the total structural weight. composite stiffened thin-walled shell structures.
Therefore the design of stiffened composite panels, The research project aims to obtain reliable data on
able to overcome the buckling load and to work in the post-buckling behavior of composite stiffened
post-buckling field, represents one of the major structures and to improve new simulation
challenges for aircraft industries. procedures and design methods.
The optimization of stiffened composite panels
subjected to buckling and strength constraints was PANEL DESCRIPTION
dealt with several studies1-2. Many parts of them are The panels to which is applied the optimization
also devoted to carry out the proficiency of genetic procedure are made of carbon fiber reinforced
algorithms in optimization involving composite plastic (CFRP) woven. The skin of the panels has
structures3-6 due to the presence of integer and internal curvature radius of 3000 mm, arch-length
continuos variables. of 706 mm and height of 700 mm.
In any case, few works deal with optimizations able Stiffeners are L-shaped with equal sides and their
to account directly constraints on the post-buckling corners are rounded with a mean radius of 4 mm for
construction reasons. They are cured on the internal
*Corresponding author: [Link]@[Link] side of the skin and are as long as the panel is and
1
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Copyright © 2003 by the authors . Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission.