Design optimization for production semi-submersible pontoons based on genetic algorithms and finite element analysis

Abstract

A production semisubmersible hull consists of continuous panels of structural steel reinforced by stiffeners and supporting members. The plate panels between stiffeners and frames are the most fundamental structural components of the hull, which are subjected to out-of-plane actions due to direct action of seawater head, waves, or cargo pressure, as well as in-plane actions caused by structural responses at the system level. The main objective of this research is to develop a methodology that automatically optimizes the structural design of critical stiffened panels accounting for the dimensions of both the panels and the stiffeners, as well as both the out-of-plane and the in-plane loads. The numerical simulations obtained from the analysis by the finite element method are compared with the proposed methodology and the results match.