Engineering design optimization with genetic algorithms

Engineers design systems by searching through the large number of possible solutions to discover the best specific solution. The search process is often time consuming and expensive. But by exploiting the natural processes that biological systems use to evolve and adapt, design engineers can often quickly solve otherwise difficult design problems that resist solution by traditional optimization methods. This paper explains the basic technique of the genetic algorithm and shows how design engineers can use a genetic algorithm to solve real design engineering problems. This paper focuses on explaining how genetic algorithms work. A brief example at the end demonstrates how the practicing engineer can use this powerful technique to solve real world problems in engineering design. The example of a structural design problem uses a genetic algorithm to minimize the weight of a pin jointed frame, but the genetic algorithm can be applied to almost any type of design problem