Search for the Optimal Shape of Metal Spatial (space) Structures

Abstract

The main disadvantages spatial structures are: increased requirements for the manufacturing elements accuracy; high consumption of material due to the having of “extra” elements; high material consumption due to the specified unification of elements. It is possible to reduce material consumption by searching optimal shape of the spatial structures and to refuse the idea of maximum unification of elements. A reduction in material consumption, if other things being equal, should provide a cheaper construction. The reasonable choice of the best project from the set of acceptable options can be made only with the use of optimization methods. The following are the author’s suggestions on parametric optimization task formulation for spatial bar metal structures. To solve this problem, it is suggested to use a method of calculation similar to the method suggested by prof. Ya.I. Olkov. Proposed for use direct search method on all spatial construction nodes coordinates variation. In suggested method node coordinate change cause change in geometrical shpe of the whole construction. Geometrical shape changes cause original construction to turn to a new one. For all new constructions only original topology is similar. This method allows to analize effectiveness of constructions with the same topology but different: height; node amount; belt grids of various geometric shapes. It is proposed to organize the solution of the problem in the form of a dynamic iterative process in which several levels of cycles of enumeration of parameters are realized. To implement the solution of the described problem, we proposed a computer implementation algorithm.