The Optimal Shape Design of A Linkage Mechanism Used for Power Shovel : Application of A Nonlinear Optimization Method of The Minimax Type

Abstract

A shape design problem is studied for the linkage mechanism of a power shovel, based on a mathematical optimization method. Kinematic relationships of the mechanism are treated statically, and they are investigated as constraints in the optimization problem. The sum of the respective maximum values of three driving forces is considered as the objective function to be minimized, and the design problem to determine the optimal shape of the linkage mechanism is formulated as a nonlinear optimization problem of the minimax type. By adopting the generalized reduced gradient algorithm, the optimal solution is calculated for a numerical example, and it is ascertained that the shape of the mechanism can be determined rationally, based on the optimization technique proposed here.