Optimal design of bicycle frame using genetic algorithms

Design optimizations involve application of mathematical optimization techniques to models derived from engineering science, often presented as computer simulations. Industrial use of design optimization tools is now employed all over the world. As the size and complexity of design problems addressed with formal methods increase, so do the challenges for successful implementations.; There are many considerations that go into designing a frame, far more than can be accommodated in a single thesis. The current research has augmented the search reliability by utilizing multiple runs and increased iterations of the genetic algorithm. The type of genetic algorithm employed here is referred to as topology optimization, which generated the optimal shape of the bicycle frame. The structural shape is generated within a pre-defined design space. Additionally, structural supports and loads are provided. The method forms the structural shape thus providing a first idea of an efficient geometry. Later iterations minimize the amount of structural mass (weight) subject to given conditions. Topology optimization is implemented using MATLAB to successfully accomplish the task.