A simulated annealing algorithm for stiffness optimization
Alexandru Vasile, Iulian Constantin Coropeţchi, Ștefan Sorohan, Catalin Radu Picu, Dan Mihai Constantinescu
Abstract
A domain of 1x1 mm was chosen and divided in 4x4 squares on each side. A soft (purple) and a rigid (blue) material distribution with an elastic modulus ratio of 1:10 can be inkjet printed together in equal parts, following an initial pattern. The simulated annealing algorithm used in this work is similar to the Greedy algorithm but accepts less favorable solutions at a current iteration to make possible further calculations. The objective function is formulated as maximizing the effective stiffness on both in-plane directions. Finite element analyses are performed by using the PyAnsys software under an MIT License and a domain with 16 Q8 elements which represents by symmetry a quarter of RVE. The simulated annealing algorithm provided better results than the Greedy algorithm in all analyzed cases, but it does not always converge to a global optimum.