Integrated Drive Train and Structural Optimization for a Dynamic System: An Evolving Conceptual Design Algorithm

Abstract

Selecting the most suitable motor sizes, gear<br> boxes and structure under certain constraints or desired<br> values such as payload, speed, deflections, total weight, etc.<br> for a dynamic system is an exhaustive and time-consuming<br> iterative process. To overcome this problem, a new-<br> “evolving” conceptual design algorithm is developed. The<br> suggested algorithm can be used for the conceptual design<br> of any dynamic system including drive-train and structural<br> optimization. To illustrate the suggested methodology, a<br> robot manipulator, having 3 degrees of freedom, is selected<br> as a case study. The objective function is minimizing the<br> robot mass while satisfying the desired dynamic<br> requirements and constraints of link deflections. A dynamic<br> simulation environment for flexible body motion,<br> containing 3 DOF robot manipulator drive-trains and<br> flexible links, is developed in an evolving optimization loop.<br> The lumped parameter estimation method is used to model<br> the flexibility of uniform links in Simmechanics by allowing<br> the estimation of deflections caused by the dynamic motion.<br> Thus, both dynamic and structural simulations are made<br> simultaneously in Simmechanics with no additional<br> software. Hence, drive-trains and thickness of all links are<br> simultaneously optimized by using the suggested evolving<br> conceptual design algorithm.