Optimal design of acoustical sandwich panels with a genetic algorithm

panels with a genetic algorithm, Applied Acoustics, Volume 70, Issue 3, March 2009, Pages 416-425, ISSN 0003-682X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2008.06.003. 1 Optimal design of acoustical sandwich panels with a genetic algorithm Tongan Wang, Shan Li, Steven R. Nutt 1. University of Southern California, 3651 Watts Way, VHE 602, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States Abstract: An optimization study is performed to design a sandwich panel with a balance of acoustical and mechanical properties at minimal weight. An acoustical model based on higher-order sandwich beam theory is used with mechanical analysis of the maximum deflection at the center of the sandwich panel under a concentrated force. First, a parametric study is performed to determine the effects of individual design variables on the sound transmission loss of the sandwich panel. Next, by constraining the acoustical and mechanical behavior of the sandwich panel, the area mass density of the sandwich panel is minimized using a genetic algorithm. The sandwich panels are constructed from eight face-sheet and sixteen core materials, with varying thicknesses of the face sheets and the core. The resulting design is a light-weight, mechanically efficient sound insulator with strength and stiffness comparable to sandwich structures commonly used in structural applications.