A genetic algorithm optimization of ring-stiffened cylindrical shells for axial and radial buckling loads

In this research, the general axial and radial buckling optimization of ring-stiffened cylindrical shells is implemented by the genetic algorithm (GA). The stiffened shell is subjected to four constraints including the fundamental frequency, the structural weight, the axial buckling load, and the radial buckling load. In addition, six design variables including shell thickness, number of stiffeners, stiffeners width and height, stiffeners eccentricity distribution order, and stiffeners spacing distribution order are considered. In analytical solution, the Ritz method is applied and stiffeners are treated as discrete elements. The effect of the weighting coefficients of the objective functions on the optimum solution is studied. The results show that optimized stiffening a cylindrical shell leads to a lower structural weight, higher natural frequencies, and larger axial and radial buckling loads, simultaneously. In addition, the upper and lower bounds of the design variables influence the optimum results considerably. It is also found that the distributions of eccentricity and spacing of the stiffeners influence the magnitudes of the axial and radial buckling loads considerably.