Multi-objective optimization design of anti-rolling torsion bar based on modified NSGA-III algorithm

Abstract

Purpose

How to get a lighter and stronger anti-rolling torsion bar has become a barrier for the development of high-speed railway vehicles. The purpose of this paper is to realize the multi-objective optimization of an anti-rolling torsion bar with a Modified Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (MNSGA-III), which aims to obtain a better design scheme of an anti-rolling torsion bar device.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm III (NSGA-III) uses a simulated binary crossover (SBX) operator and a polynomial mutation operator, while the MNSGA-III algorithm proposed in this paper introduces an arithmetic crossover and an adaptive mutation operator to change the crossover and mutate operator in NSGA-III. Second, two algorithms are tested by ZDT3, ZDT4 functions. Both algorithms set the same population size and evolutionary generation, and then compare the results of NSGA-III and MNSGA-III. Finally, MNSGA-III is applied to the multi-objective model of an anti-rolling torsion bar which is established by taking the mass and stiffness of the torsion bar as the optimization object. After that, it obtains the Pareto solution set by solving the multi-objective model with MNSGA-III. The only optimal solution selected from the Pareto solution set is compared with the traditional design scheme of an anti-rolling torsion bar.

Findings

The MNSGA-III converges faster than NSGA-III. Besides, MNSGA-III has better diversity of Pareto solutions than NSGA-III and is closer to the ideal Pareto frontier. Comparing with the results before the optimization, it shows that the volume of the anti-rolling torsion bar reduces by 1.6 percent and the stiffness increases by 3.3 percent. The optimized data verifies the effectiveness of this method proposed in this paper.

Originality/value

The simulated binary crossover operator and polynomial mutation operator of NSGA-III are changed into an arithmetic crossover operator and an adaptive mutation operator, respectively, which improves the optimization performance of the algorithm.

Citation

Li, Y.-H., Sheng, Z., Zhi, P. and Li, D. (2021), "Multi-objective optimization design of anti-rolling torsion bar based on modified NSGA-III algorithm", International Journal of Structural Integrity, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 17-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSI-03-2019-0018