Optimization of Energy-Absorbing Characteristics for Bio-inspired Thin-walled Structures Using an Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Method
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study focuses on optimizing the energy-absorbing characteristics of bio-inspired thin-walled structures (BTS) based on naturally inspired structural features. Three design parameters are investigated: wall thickness t, inner diameter d, and number of diaphragms n. A combined approach was employed: first, the Taguchi method with nine experiments was conducted to collect initial data; subsequently, an improved Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm was applied to determine the influence of parameters on specific energy absorption (SEA) while simultaneously searching for the optimal parameter set. The results show that the influences of parameters t, d, and n on SEA are 66%, 32.5%, and 1.5%, respectively. The optimization process using the improved PSO algorithm ultimately identified an optimal parameter set of t=1 mm, d=40.87 mm, and n=8, yielding the best SEA value of 15 kJ/kg. Validation simulations in Abaqus resulted in an SEA of 15.19 kJ/kg (1.299% deviation), which is 15.2% higher than the non-optimized configuration. The improved PSO optimization algorithm is highly effective in simplifying and solving parameter optimization problems for new energy-absorbing structures.
Keywords
Thin-walled structure, Bio-inspired, Specific Energy Absorption, Particle Swarm Optimization, Taguchi method.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
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[4] Q. Ma, N. H. M. Yusof, S. K. Sahu, Y. Song, N. A. M. Radzuan, B. Sun, A. Y. Nasution, A. P. Kumar, and M. R. M. Rejab, Bio-inspired thin-walled straight and tapered tubes with variable designs subjected to multiple impact angles for building constructions, Buildings, vol. 15, iss. 4, Feb. 2025, Art. no. 620. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15040620
[5] Y. Chen, X. Dai, P. Fu, G. Luo, and P. Shi, A review of China's automotive industry policy: Recent developments and future trends, Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering (English Edition), vol. 11, iss. 5, pp. 867–895, Dec. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtte.2024.09.001
[6] Z. Zhang, C. Feng, L. Zhao, N. Hu, S. Hou, and X. Han, Crashworthiness analysis and optimization design of special-shaped thin-walled tubes by experiments and numerical simulation, Thin-Walled Structures, vol. 205, Dec. 2024, Art. no. 112240.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2024.112240
[7] L. Teng, D. Qingtian and L. Xinbo, Energy absorption and deformation modes of several thin-walled tubes under dynamic compression, Structures, vol. 54, pp. 890–897, Aug. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.istruc.2023.05.099
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[10] J. Heath, M. Moran, and A. Dowrick, Examining qualitative cross-country comparative analysis in health: Reflective insights and methodological considerations, SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, vol. 5, Jun. 2024, Art. no. 100416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100416
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[15] N. V. Hinh, T. H. Phong and N. D. Hai, A Novel evaluate the ultimate strength of plate having cutout under in-plane compression, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications, vol. 12, iss. 2, pp. 50–58, 2024. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmea.20241202.12
[16] Y. Tian, P. Zhou, F. A. Hassan, O. Al-Khatib, F. Alshammari and N. Mazraoui, Crashworthiness and technoeconomic assessment of bioinspired GFRP PP tubes using experiments, numerical modeling and artificial neural networks, Scientific Reports, vol. 16, Mar. 2026, Art. no. 15592. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40978-6
[17] G. Murali, A. Thakur, S. Dixit, S. Singh, and A. Stefańska, Biomimicry in construction: Innovations in energy absorption through bio-inspired structural designs, Sustainable Materials and Technologies, vol. 45, Oct. 2025, Art. no. e01628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01628
[18] C. Husby, Biology and functional ecology of Equisetum with emphasis on the giant horsetails, The Botanical Review, vol. 79, pp. 147–177, Jun. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-013-9104-9
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[20] Z. Cheng, J. Du, S. Jia, C. Xiao, F. Jiao and Y. Hong, Impact of tube shapes on the energy storage and thermal-hydraulic performances of finned latent heat energy storage systems, Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, vol. 67, Mar. 2025, Art. no. 105827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2025.105827
[21] X. He, Z. Li, J. Wang, and H. Yu, Effects of tube cross-sectional shapes on flow pattern, liquid film and heat transfer of n-pentane across tube bundles, Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, vol. 60, pp. 16–25, Aug. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjche.2023.01.003
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[23] A. Sandak and K. Butina Ogorelec, Bioinspired building materials-lessons from nature, Frontiers in Materials, vol. 10, Mar. 2023, Art. no. 1164529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2023.1164529
[24] M. A. A. El-Baky, S. A. Abdalaziz, M. A. Hassan and M. M. A. Allah, Integrating bio-inspired concepts into lightweight sustainable crashworthy designs under lateral loading scenario, Fibers and Polymers, vol. 26, Jun. 2025, pp. 3585–3600.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12221-025-01938-4
[25] Z. Ahmad and D. P. Thambiratnam, Dynamic computer simulation and energy absorption of foam-filled conical tubes under axial impact loading, Computers and Structures, vol. 87, pp. 186–197, Feb. 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruc.2008.10.004
[26] N. Li, C. Shi, Z. Zhang, H. Wang and Y. Liu, A review on mixture design methods for geopolymer concrete, Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 178, Dec. 2019, Art. no. 107490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.107490
[27] S. Sahoo, R. K. Dalei, S. K. Rath, and U. K. Sahu, Selection of PSO parameters based on Taguchi design-ANOVA-ANN methodology for missile gliding trajectory optimization, Cognitive Robotics, vol. 3, pp. 158–172, Dec. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogr.2023.10.002
[28] M. W. Hisam, A. A. Dar, M. O. Elrasheed, M. S. Khan, R. Gera and I. Azad, The Versatility of the Taguchi Method: Optimizing experiments across diverse disciplines, Journal of Statistical Theory and Applications, vol. 23, pp. 365–389, May 2024. https://doi.org/10.2991/jsta.d.240411.001
[29] Y. O. M. Sekyere, F. B. Effah and P. Y. Okyere, An enhanced particle swarm optimization algorithm via adaptive dynamic inertia weight and acceleration coefficients, Journal of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Jan. 2024. https://doi.org/10.37256/jeee.3120243868
[30] A. Nickabadi, M. M. Ebadzadeh, and R. Safabakhsh, A novel particle swarm optimization algorithm with adaptive inertia weight, Applied Soft Computing, vol. 11, iss. 4, pp. 3658–3670, Jun. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2011.01.037
[31] H. Xu, Q. Deng, Z. Zhang and S. Lin, A hybrid differential evolution particle swarm optimization algorithm based on dynamic strategies, Scientific Reports, vol. 15, Feb. 2025, Art. no. 4518. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86441-5