Applications of Simulated Annealing:

Simulated Annealing as an optimization technique finds application in a wide variety of fields and
domains. Some of the problems and applications that simulated annealing methodology eases out and
solves include:

•Travelling salesman problem,

•quadratic assignment,

•matching,

•linear arrangement

•VLSI design

• image processing

• code design

• network topology design etc.

We will see applications different from the ones given in the list.

First, we see an application in the MECHANICAL ENGINEERING domain. More specifically, we look at
application of simulated annealing in the area of composites.

WHAT ARE COMPOSITES?

Composites, simply put, are materials made by combining multiple (two or more) natural or artificial
elements, with differing physical or chemical properties, with an objective to present as being stronger
as a team than as individual entities. The individual component materials do not lose their individual
identities and meld; they contribute their respective traits independently to improve the final product.
Usually, composites are designed with a particular utility in mind, such as increased strength, efficiency
or durability.

Also known as Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites, they are created from a polymer matrix that
is bolstered and reinforced with an engineered or a natural fiber (like glass, carbon or aramid) or other
such materials. The purpose of the matrix is to protect the fibers from environmental and external
damage and transferring the load between the fibers. In turn, the fibers grant strength and stiffness to
reinforce the matrix—helping resist cracks and fractures. The composites may also have fillers, additives,
core materials or surface finishes designed to enhance the manufacturing process, appearance and
performance of the final product.

WHERE ARE COMPOSITES USED?

Composites find uses in multiple structural applications ranging from airplanes, sporting goods to ships
because of their high-end properties, e.g. strength-to-weight or stiffness-to-weight ratios. Composites
are less sensitive to fatigue than metals although multiple constituents increase complexity of the
fatigue mechanisms. As a further advantage, composite structures offer great flexibility in design,
allowing change of the material system in many ways including number and density of fibers and
different lay-up configurations.

WHAT IS THE OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM HERE?

The problem is to design a composite laminate reinforced by continuous fibers subject to plane loads.
The objective is to find the optimum design of the laminate to attain the maximum strength for different
loading conditions. The number of distinct fiber orientation angles, m, and the number of plies each
lamina contains, n k, are given. The orientation angles θk , are to be determined in the design process.
Accordingly, the number of design variables is m. Figure 1 shows a representative geometry of a laminae
showing stresses and fiber orientation angle.

Fig.1

Fig-2 Fig-3 Fig-4

For different loading conditions as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the geometrical properties, e.g. length and
width of the composite plate vary. The orientation angles take discrete values; they are chosen from a
given set of angles, say 0-90 degrees. They can take even negative values.

GENERAL SOLUTION PROCEDURE:

Formulation of the objective function

The failure of the whole structure is indicated, even though the ultimate load-bearing capacity of the
structure may not be exceeded, merely by the failure of any ply. Accordingly, first-ply failure is
understood as a design limit. The search algorithm constructed is to minimize the objective function,
which is the maximum equivalent stress value, Smax , of the laminate. The objective function is expressed
as

minimize Smax

With this objective function, the strengths and hence the relative fatigue strengths of the composite
structures are maximized with effective use of fiber orientations.

A code may be developed via the built-in parametric language of say ANSYS finite element analysis
software. The tasks necessary which are model definition, material properties, boundary conditions,
solution, and result extraction using the available comments. As the optimization process progresses,
the fiber orientation angles of the laminae are changed iteratively with a lookout for higher strength.
Accordingly, DSA [13, 17] is used as a search algorithm. The objective function, which is the maximum
equivalent stress, is recalculated whenever the design is changed. Mesh data is automatically
regenerated in each analysis step and extracts results for different fiber orientation angles of lamina.
The resulting von Mises stresses developed in each element are sorted, and the largest value chosen.
The iterations terminate when the convergence criterion is met. Otherwise, the search algorithm
resumes finding new values for the orientation angles of fibers.

The SA process as always, consists of first ‘melting’ the system that is being optimized at high
‘temperature’, T. One slowly lowers the temperature until the system ‘freezes’ and until no further
changes occur. (Temperature, T, has no physical meaning; it is merely a control parameter). Melting
points to the beginning stage. When temperatures are high, naturally the acceptance probability is high.
Accordingly, even high cost-value configurations may be accepted. At low temperatures, acceptability is
low and worse configurations have an unlikely acceptance. So, performance of SA depends on the
cooling schedule (choice of cooling schedule). Higher probability of reaching the global optimum
solution depends on faster lowering of the temperature parameter. Also, the initial value should be
selected as high as possible to allow nearly all trials to be accepted and to not stick into a local
minimum. The value of the temperature, T, is constant and called as Markov chain for each iteration.
MAYBE EXPLORED BY SUVENDU. JUST HINTED AT SOME POINTS
Sudoku puzzles:

• We take the cost function as the number of digits repeated more than once in each row,
column, block. We have to minimize the cost function to reach its minimum zero.

• To do this we have to choose two cells and swap them.

• We start the puzzle by randomly filling it with numbers such that there are 9 copies of each
number.

• To swap the highest trouble making cells we give the probability of any swap by probability P=
min(1,exp(dC/T)).

• Suppose there are n cities in a country, and we have pairwise distance between the cities.

• Our goal is to find the smallest path starting at a city and visiting all cities exactly once and finally
returning to the origin city.

• For this problem the cost function is the distance travelled for a specific path and the possible
paths is the permutations over the n cities.

• Starting with initial order of cities, we swap position of two random cities.
 • The high temperature T is chosen at first and reduced during the steps.

• The choice of the cites is accepted with a with probability of P=min(1,exp(-dC/T)).

Placement of VLSI cell placement problem

• First we decompose the circuit into individual cells and find out the different input an output
cells of each cell.

• For this problem we take the cost function as the total wire length.

• New cell placements are generated by either moving a single cell or swapping the position of
two cells.

• The choice of a swap of move is decided by the probability function P=min(1,exp(-dC/t)).

Power systems application: https://www.intechopen.com/books/simulated-annealing-advances-

applications-and-hybridizations/applications-of-simulated-annealing-based-approaches-to-electric-
power-systems

References:

1) http://compositeslab.com/composites-101/what-are-composites/
2) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1243/09544062JMES2105
3) https://www.intechopen.com/books/simulated-annealing-advances-applications-and-
hybridizations/applications-of-simulated-annealing-based-approaches-to-electric-power-
systems
4) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326534276_Simulated_Annealing_An_Optimization
_Technique_for_Design_of_Cellular_Manufacturing_Systems
5) https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-91086-4_1
6) https://www.google.com/search?
q=simulated+annealing+applications+in+mechanical+engineering&rlz=1C1CHBF_enIN850IN850
&oq=simulated+annealing+applications+in+me&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33l7.9975j1j4&sourceid=c
hrome&ie=UTF-8
7)