Shape Optimization of Slotted Steel Plate Dampers using the Simulated Annealing Algorithm

This paper reports a procedure for maximizing the energy dissipation capacity (EDC) of a slotted steel plater damper by changing its initial geometrical shape. The methodology uses a simulated annealing algorithm to iteratively vary the slots' disposition, number, and geometry while improving the EDC. This capacity is computed for each tested configuration from a finite element analysis in ABAQUS, considering a cyclic displacement protocol. Five initial sections are enhanced, with the optimal one evoking a sand clock shape with two symmetric slots. The EDC increment is higher than 300%. It is observed that the objective function is multi-modal, and the optimal solution depends on the initial design. The proposed procedure is computationally easy to implement and requires less than fifty iterations to guarantee convergence in all cases.