Design of complex adaptive structures using the genetic algorithm

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to solve large complex optimization problems which other methods have difficulty solving. In this paper, an introduction to the theory of GAs and its operators are presented. A brief overview of the current research using GAs in aerospace engineering applications is given. Based on the author's previous work, optimal piezoelectric actuator placement for space telescope mirrors using GAs is discussed. The problem discussed here involves finding optimal locations and optimal voltages for 15 piezoelectric actuators, selected from a maximum of 193 candidate locations. The GA was found to be effective and robust in solving this problem with more than 8.4*1021 possible solutions. Two sets of actuator placements are given as solutions to the multi-criteria optimization problem. The use of GAs for structural damage detection inverse problems for concentrated damage of a continuous beam is also shown. A real number encoded GA was found to provide relatively accurate solutions for this damage detection problem.