Multiobjective optimization of a symmetrically laminated composite plate is presented. Designs are obtained to realize maximum in-plane compressive load, maximum in-plane shear load, maximum bending strength, and maximum stiffness, two criteria being considered at a time. Design variables are fiber orientations and thicknesses of different layers. It is observed that nonconvex sets appear in the problem and consequently the weighting min-max method, rather than the pure weighting method, is used to reduce the vector maximum problem to a scalar one. Search for the optimum is then accomplished by a general nonlinear programming algorithm. Since exact solutions for the structural response are not available, the Rayleigh-Ritz method is employed to obtain approximate solutions. Numerical results are presented for different materials and various combinations of clamped, free and simply supported boundary conditions.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Design, Plates (structures), Stress, Algorithms, Bending strength, Boundary-value problems, Composite materials, Fibers, Nonlinear programming, Pareto optimization, Rayleigh-Ritz methods, Scalars, Shear (Mechanics), Stiffness
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Copyright © 1992
 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
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