SHAPE OPTIMIZATION OF INSULATOR SHEDS

A computer-aided design technique for obtaining the optimum shapes of insulator sheds is presented. The non-linear shape optimization problem is formulated with the mass as the objective function to be minimized and the specified electrical and mechanical performance requirements as the constraints. The shape of the shed is numerically represented by the key dimensions of the shed. Finite element analysis is utilized repeatedly to obtain the stresses at critical points during the optimization iterations. A computer program has been developed to test the presented technique. The required specifications of the shed and an initial design are input to the program. Smooth convergence to the optimal design, with drastic changes in the shape, takes place without any user interaction even when the initial design is infeasible.