Optimum Design of Flywheels Using Genetic Algorithm and Finite Element Coupling

Optimization of flywheel geometry to maximize its energy storage/deliver capability per unit mass, further defined as Specific Energy is an important research topic extensively worked. For this purpose, different methods are available which any of them has limitations such as mechanical and thermal stresses calculation for irregular profiles, modeling of Heterogeneous objects, low speed of optimization procedure and etc. In this paper, a new optimization method proposed which uses genetic algorithm and commercial finite element software simultaneously to optimization of flywheels. Mainly, the performance of a flywheel can be attributed to three factors, i.e., material strength, geometry (cross-section) and rotational speed. This study focuses on exploring the effects of flywheel geometry on specific energy. Finally, three numerical examples are presented to illustrate the merits of the method presented in this paper. The results are then compared with those obtained from "ANSYS" optimization toolbox and in [21]. The results show that the model converges to a very efficient solution without any engineer intervention.