Multi-domain topology optimization with ant colony systems

• Published in: Compel Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 1792 - 1803
• Main Authors: Batista, Lucas S., Campelo, Felipe, Guimarães, Frederico G., Ramírez, Jaime A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Actuators; Algorithms; Cities; Colonies; Colonies & territories; Design engineering; Food; Graph representations; Graphs; Methodology; Methods; Optimization; Optimization techniques; Pheromones; Representations; Structural engineering; Studies; Topology optimization; Transition rules; Traveling salesman problem; Topology optimization; Actuators; Torque; Ant colony systems; Electromagnetic design
• ISSN: 0332-1649; 2054-5606
• DOI: 10.1108/03321641111168101

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a graph representation of the design space that is suitable for the ant colony optimization (ACO) method in topology optimization (TO) problems.Design methodology approach - The ACO is employed to obtain optimal routes in an equivalent graph representation of the discretized design space, with each route corresponding to a given distribution of material.Findings - The problem associated with the maximization of the torque of a c-core magnetic actuator is investigated, in which part of the yoke is discretized into a 16×8 grid and can assume three different materials: air, pure iron and a magnetic material.Research limitations implications - The results of the c-core magnetic actuator problem, which are in agreement with literature available, show the adequacy of the proposed approach to TO of electromagnetic devices.Practical implications - The graph representation of the design space permits the solution of topological design problems with an arbitrary number of materials.Originality value - The results illustrate the potential of the methodology in dealing with multi-domain TO problems, and the possibility to extend the application to 3D problems.