Development of CFRP racing motorcycle rims using a heuristic evolutionary algorithm approach

The scope of this paper is the application of evolutionary optimization methods to the development of composite fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) racing motorcycle rims. The mass and the moment of inertia of a front and a rear CFRP rim are minimized subject to manufacturing, strength, and stiffness constraints. The stacking sequence of the composite laminates is optimized by applying a sophisticated parameterization concept making an excellent compromise between a huge variety of structure properties and a reasonable number of optimization parameters. The mechanical properties are simulated using the finite element analysis package ANSYS . Resulting displacement and Tsai-Wu index values are combined with the mass of the rim in order to assign a fitness value to each different design solution. The smart formulation of the fitness function allows the exploration of solutions close to the required strength and stiffness properties. The proprietary software DynOPS is utilized as an optimization engine. It links an evolutionary algorithm to arbitrary simulation programs and controls the entire optimization process. The sophisticated parameterization concept, together with the fitness function formulation, are the basis for the development of CFRP motorcycle rims decisively lighter than state-of-the-art magnesium alloy rims.