Use of genetic algorithms for optimal design of laminated composite sandwich panels with bending-twisting coupling

A genetic algorithm approach is used for optimization of a cantilever sandwich plate (an idealization of an airfoil) with a vertical force applied to one free corner. The number of face sheet plies and the ply orientations are designed so as to minimize the weight of the structure while maximizing the twist in the direction opposite that caused by the loading, subject to stiffness, strength, and ply clustering penalties. A new type of GA topology called island injection, developed in a previous study for design of composite beams, is extended to the present case of sandwich panel design. Island injection GAs showed slightly better performance over ring and singlenode topologies with identical parameters and population sizes. In all cases, the GA successfully identified designs with the desired structural response.