Automated design of aircraft fuselage stiffeners using multiobjective evolutionary optimisation

This paper proposes an optimisation process for the design of aircraft fuselage stiffeners using evolutionary optimisation. A new design problem is developed to find a layout for fuselage stiffeners (rings and stringers) such that the structural mass, compliance, and the first-mode natural frequency can be optimised, subject to structural constraints. The stiffeners are modelled as beam elements. Three multiobjective meta-heuristics are employed to solve the problem, and a comparative study of the results of these optimisers is carried out. It is found that the proposed layout synthesis problem for aircraft fuselage stiffeners leads to a set of efficient structural solutions, which can be used at the decision-making stage. It is an automated design strategy with high potential for further investigation.