Optimization of Branch Pipe Routing Considering Tee Constraint Ant Lion

• Published in: IEEE access Vol. 11; pp. 120270 - 120280
• Main Authors: Shen, Haicheng, Liu, Shiyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway IEEE 2023; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Algorithms; ant lion algorithm; Automation; Branch pipe; Electronic design automation; Electronic design automation and methodology; engineering rules; Focusing; Heuristic algorithms; Layouts; Matlab; Optimization; Pipes; Routing; Steiner trees; “T” tee
• ISSN: 2169-3536; 2169-3536
• DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3324853

Considering the complex nature of branch pipes, which typically exhibit one-to-many characteristics, a transformation is implemented to facilitate one-to-one pipe routing. This approach primarily addresses the challenges related to routing sequence planning, branch point determination, and pipe direction. In terms of engineering practice, the optimal branch points are selected from a set of discrete points. Subsequently, the branch pipe routing sequence is determined based on the optimal distances between adjacent endpoints. Meanwhile, taking into account the constraints imposed by three-way pipe, the branch pipe issue is resolved employing the ant lion algorithm. During the layout solving process, the ant lion algorithm exhibits certain limitations, such as local optima and slow convergence speed. To overcome these deficiencies, enhancements are made and rigorous testing is conducted. The improved ant lion algorithm is then employed to achieve automated layout optimization of branch pipes, thereby enhancing layout efficiency. As for the branch pipe direction problem, inspiration is drawn from Electronic Design Automation (EDA) wiring. By integrating orthogonal and non-orthogonal pipes, a method is devised to achieve engineering aesthetics in general. Finally, the proposed method's effectiveness is verified through a joint simulation utilizing Siemens NX/GRIP and Matlab software. This verification ensures the soundness and applicability of the proposed approach to practical scenarios.