Structural optimization of stiffener layout for stiffened plate using hybrid GA

The current trend in shipyard industry is to reduce the weight of ships to support the reduction of CO₂ emissions. In this study, the stiffened plate was optimized that is used for building most of the ship-structure. Further, this study proposed the hybrid Genetic Algorithm (GA) technique, which combines a genetic algorithm and subsequent optimization methods. The design variables included the number and type of stiffeners, stiffener spacing, and plate thickness. The number and type of stiffeners are discrete design variables that were optimized using the genetic algorithm. The stiffener spacing and plate thickness are continuous design variables that were determined by subsequent optimization. The plate deformation was classified into global and local displacement, resulting in accurate estimations of the maximum displacement. The optimization result showed that the proposed hybrid GA is effective for obtaining optimal solutions, for all the design variables.