Evolutionary Winch Design Using An Online Winch Prototyping Tool

Abstract

This paper extends the work of a concurrent paper on an intelligent winch prototyping tool (WPT) that is part of a generic and modular software framework for intelligent computer-automated product design. Within this framework, we have implemented a Matlab winch optimisation client (MWOC) that connects to the WPT and employs four evolutionary optimisation algorithms to optimise winch design. The four algorithms we employ are (i) a genetic algorithm (GA), (ii) particle swarm optimisation (PSO), (iii) simulated annealing (SA), and (iv) a multiobjective optimisation genetic algorithm (MOOGA). Here, we explore the capabilities of MWOC in a case study where we show that given a set of design guidelines and a suitable objective function based on these guidelines, we are able to optimise a particular winch design with respect to some desired design criteria. Our research has taken place in close cooperation with two maritime industrial partners, Seaonics AS and ICD Software AS, through two innovation and research projects on applying artificial intelligence for intelligent computer-automated design of maritime equipment such as offshore cranes and maritime winches.

Virtual prototyping for maritime winch design and operations based on functional mock-up interface co-simulation

“…UI design is another time-consuming task that needs input from the users to determine what features are favoured. Design optimisation algorithms could also be included as presented by Hameed et al (Hameed et al 2017).…”

“…In fact, the physics of the dynamic systems are merely simple calculations of the output torques of the drive motors. Using this primitive tool, Hameed et al implemented a Matlab optimization client and employed four different optimization algorithms as comparison (Hameed et al 2017). The results provide useful information for decision-making during the conceptual design phase of the winch system to obtain the most output torque using minimal electrical power.…”

An Intelligent Winch Prototyping Tool

“…In the following sections, we present our new intelligent winch prototyping tool, or WPT. The interested reader may also wish to refer to our accompanying paper, in which we present a Matlab winch optimisation client implemented with several intelligent algorithms, the MWOC, and test it within this same framework (Hameed et al, 2017).…”

“…In this paper, we extend this framework with the inclusion of new product calculator for maritime winches that together with a GA optimisation module and a web GUI constitute what we refer to as a winch prototyping tool (WPT). Submitted concurrently in an accompanying paper, we present a Matlab winch optimisation client (MWOC) that we use to test a number of algorithms within this same framework (Hameed et al, 2017). (Hameed, Bye, Pedersen and Osen, 2017).…”

“…Submitted concurrently in an accompanying paper, we present a Matlab winch optimisation client (MWOC) that we use to test a number of algorithms within this same framework (Hameed et al, 2017). (Hameed, Bye, Pedersen and Osen, 2017). Whilst we have achieved the goals of the specific two research projects mentioned above, we wish to emphasise that our work easily can be extended to other products and CautoD methodologies.…”