Computer software for analysis and design optimization of power transmission structures by simulated annealing and sensitivity analysis

This paper presents a computer software for the optimization of power transmission structures. The software employs a modified version of the Simulated Annealing algorithm that has been proven effective in large engineering problems. The target structures are three-dimensional steel trusses to be used as supporting towers of electrical lines. A mixed formulation merging continuous and discrete design variables is proposed for optimizing the size and shape of the trusses, including a first-order sensitivity analysis that reduces the computational cost. The implementation can be adapted to any kind of transmission tower and allows to quickly create a model to be analyzed and optimized in a few sequential steps. Despite its simplicity of use, the tools provided by the proposed framework allow to perform a full analysis of the design and provide an entire comprehension of its structural behavior. The software also includes a post-process and visualization tool set in a user-friendly graphical interface.