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Madeira, Jose Firmino Aguilar

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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Multiobjective topology optimization of structures using genetic algorithms with chromosome repairing
    Publication . Madeira, JFA; Rodrigues, H. C.; Pina, H.
    In this work, a genetic algorithm (GA) for multiobjective topology optimization of linear elastic structures is developed. Its purpose is to evolve an evenly distributed group of solutions to determine the optimum Pareto set for a given problem. The GA determines a set of solutions to be sorted by its domination properties and a filter is defined to retain the Pareto solutions. As an equality constraint on volume has to be enforced, all chromosomes used in the genetic GA must generate individuals with the same volume value; in the coding adopted, this means that they must preserve the same number of “ones” and, implicitly, the same number of “zeros” along the evolutionary process. It is thus necessary: (1) to define chromosomes satisfying this propriety and (2) to create corresponding crossover and mutation operators which preserve volume. Optimal solutions of each of the single-objective problems are introduced in the initial population to reduce computational effort and a repairing mechanism is developed to increase the number of admissible structures in the populations. Also, as the work of the external loads can be calculated independently for each individual, parallel processing was used in its evaluation. Numerical applications involving two and three objective functions in 2D and two objective functions in3Dare employed as tests for the computational model developed. Moreover, results obtained with and without chromosome repairing are compared.
  • GA topology optimization using random keys for tree encoding of structures
    Publication . Madeira, JFA; Pina, H. L.; Rodrigues, H. C.
    Topology optimization consists in finding the spatial distribution of a given total volume of material for the resulting structure to have some optimal property, for instance, maximization of structural stiffness or maximization of the fundamental eigenfrequency. In this paper a Genetic Algorithm (GA) employing a representation method based on trees is developed to generate initial feasible individuals that remain feasible upon crossover and mutation and as such do not require any repairing operator to ensure feasibility. Several application examples are studied involving the topology optimization of structures where the objective functions is the maximization of the stiffness and the maximization of the first and the second eigenfrequencies of a plate, all cases having a prescribed material volume constraint.
  • Surgical correction of scoliosis: Numerical analysis and optimization of the procedure
    Publication . Madeira, JFA; Pina, H. L.; Pires, E. B.; Monteiro, Joaquim
    A previously developed model is used to numerically simulate real clinical cases of the surgical correction of scoliosis. This model consists of one-dimensional finite elements with spatial deformation in which (i) the column is represented by its axis; (ii) the vertebrae are assumed to be rigid; and (iii) the deformability of the column is concentrated in springs that connect the successive rigid elements. The metallic rods used for the surgical correction are modeled by beam elements with linear elastic behavior. To obtain the forces at the connections between the metallic rods and the vertebrae geometrically, non-linear finite element analyses are performed. The tightening sequence determines the magnitude of the forces applied to the patient column, and it is desirable to keep those forces as small as possible. In this study, a Genetic Algorithm optimization is applied to this model in order to determine the sequence that minimizes the corrective forces applied during the surgery. This amounts to find the optimal permutation of integers 1, ... , n, n being the number of vertebrae involved. As such, we are faced with a combinatorial optimization problem isomorph to the Traveling Salesman Problem. The fitness evaluation requires one computing intensive Finite Element Analysis per candidate solution and, thus, a parallel implementation of the Genetic Algorithm is developed.