Research On Engine Room Piping Automatic Layout Based On Genetic Algorithm

The distribution of ship engine room piping is intensive and complex, nearly half of the piping detailed design in the shipyard work is piping layout design, it plays an important role in shipbuilding. Currently in practice, due to its complexity, piping de-tailed design largely depends on experienced experts to complete. The piping layout is highly difficult and time-consuming, which is seriously lagged compared to the entire ship using of advanced technology, and has become a bottleneck that restricts ship de-sign cycle. Therefore, piping layout design automation and intelligence are of crucial importance to improve the design efficiency and cost savings.In today’s advanced technology, the automatic pipeline layout can be achieved by combining computer and intelligent algorithms. Using computer to automatically block the cabin space, generate space where the pipeline arrangement is available, also, using dynamic programming techniques and optimization algorithms to calculate the best route piping arrangement, then accurately determining the specific line in the cabin mounting position based on technology factors, finally taking all piping for optimization to make it more suitable for the process requirements.According to the background, this paper presents an automatic vessel piping layout method based on Genetic Algorithms, the study includes:(1) After researching literature, this paper summarizes the ship piping layout pro-cess, especially collects, gathers and analyzes the rules which should be followed by the ship piping layout.(2) Determining the main problem is the application of Genetic Algorithms in au-tomatic ship piping arrangement. This paper focuses on seeking the interface between Genetic Algorithms theory and practical application of piping automatic layout, it puts Darwin’s theory of evolution into searching for the optimal solution process-encoding the cabin position coordinates, determining the initial population, calculating each indi-vidual’s fitness, then choosing the high fitness individuals to make crossover and muta-tion to get next generation population. After a lot of genetic variation it can obtain the optimal individual, also it can get the optimal coordinates and pipeline optimal routing.(3)In order to make the automatic layout method for piping targeted and also be widespread, the paper determines the general diesel engine-powered large commercial vessels as the application object.(4)This paper takes a lot of appropriate improvements and optimizations in all as-pects of Genetic Algorithms against the defects in the relevant references for this field. This algorithm can arise effective individuals which can obstacle avoidance when ini-tializing population, thus avoiding the generation of illegal individuals; the paper im-proves the crossover and mutation operator appropriately, using combination of cross-point and random-point crossover to make optimal pipeline. After hundreds of repeated experiments, the paper finds a group of parameters that make the results stable and satisfied; at the same time paper tries to reduce the complexity and improve the ef-fectiveness of the algorithm.(5) This paper mainly uses MATLAB/SIMULINK as platform to establish model and simulation, and also develops an automatic piping layout software where all param-eters can be adjusted, by using this software we can reduce the complexity of operation and analyze the results. When the algorithms generates a large numbers of routes, they are not visualization when evaluating pros and cons, so this paper uses the CATIA soft-ware’s macro command operation, combined with EXCEL’s data acquisition to batch build points, completes the transformation function from pipe layout coordinates to3D, this makes it possible to have a clear3D feel and contrast effect of the pipe path. Ac-cording to verification, it proves the feasibility and effectiveness of Algorithms applica-tion.