Advances in Manufacturing ›› 2024, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3): 556-575.doi: 10.1007/s40436-024-00495-z

• • 上一篇    

Improved genetic algorithm based on reinforcement learning for electric vehicle front-end structure optimization design

Feng-Yao Lyu1, Zhen-Fei Zhan1, Gui-Lin Zhou1, Ju Wang2, Jie Li2, Xin He2   

  1. 1. Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, People's Republic of China;
    2. Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Chongqing, 404100, People's Republic of China
  • 收稿日期:2023-10-08 修回日期:2023-11-26 发布日期:2024-09-07
  • 通讯作者: Zhen-Fei Zhan,E-mail:zhenfeizhan@cqjtu.edu.cn E-mail:zhenfeizhan@cqjtu.edu.cn
  • 作者简介:Feng-Yao Lyu is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the school of Mechatronics and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University Chongqing, China;
    Zhen-Fei Zhan received the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. He is the assistant Dean and a professor at the school of Mechatronics and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University Chongqing, China. His current research interests include AI-based engineering applications, big data analytics, automotive safety, etc. He was a data scientist and research engineer at Ford North America;
    Gui-Lin Zhou is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the school of Mechatronics and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University Chongqing, China;
    Ju Wang received the Master’s degree from Chongqing University. She’s now chief of security at Changan Automobile. Her research interests include automobile crash safety, automobile structure optimization;
    Jie Li received the Ph.D. degree from the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany. He’s a researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Vibration and Noise. His research interests include AI applications in automobiles;
    Xin He received the Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Berlin, Germany. He’s now a researcher at Changan Automobile. His research interests include automotive intelligent safety.
  • 基金资助:
    This paper is supported by the Open Fund of National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Technology (Grant No. IVSTSKL-202305), and Chongqing Jiaotong University-Yangtse Delta Advanced Material Research Institute Provincial-level Joint Graduate Student Cultivation Base (Grant No. JDLHPYJD2021008).

Improved genetic algorithm based on reinforcement learning for electric vehicle front-end structure optimization design

Feng-Yao Lyu1, Zhen-Fei Zhan1, Gui-Lin Zhou1, Ju Wang2, Jie Li2, Xin He2   

  1. 1. Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, People's Republic of China;
    2. Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., Chongqing, 404100, People's Republic of China
  • Received:2023-10-08 Revised:2023-11-26 Published:2024-09-07
  • Contact: Zhen-Fei Zhan,E-mail:zhenfeizhan@cqjtu.edu.cn E-mail:zhenfeizhan@cqjtu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This paper is supported by the Open Fund of National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Technology (Grant No. IVSTSKL-202305), and Chongqing Jiaotong University-Yangtse Delta Advanced Material Research Institute Provincial-level Joint Graduate Student Cultivation Base (Grant No. JDLHPYJD2021008).

摘要: The structural optimization of electric vehicles involves numerous design variables and constraints, making it a complex engineering optimization task over the past decades. Many population-based evolutionary algorithms encounter issues such as converging to local optima and lacking population diversity when tackling such optimization problems. Consequently, the solutions obtained for the optimization may be flawed or suboptimal. To address these problems, an improved genetic algorithm (GA) based on reinforcement learning is proposed in this paper. The proposed method introduces a population delimitation method based on individual fitness ranking. The population is divided into two parts: the excellent population and the ordinary population, and different selection and cross-mutation methods are applied to each part separately. More efficient crossover and mutation methods are then applied to the ordinary population to enhance the generation of excellent individuals. Furthermore, the proposed approach replaces the traditional fixed crossover and mutation rates with a dynamic selection method based on reinforcement learning to enhance optimization efficiency. A markov decision process model is constructed based on GA environment in this context. The population state determination method and reward method are designed for reinforcement learning in the GA environment, dynamically selecting the most appropriate genetic parameters based on the current state of the population. Finally, the uncertainty in the manufacturing process is introduced into the optimization problem and the case study results demonstrate that the proposed reinforcement learning-based GA significantly outperforms other evolutionary algorithms when applied to solving the structural optimization of electric vehicles.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-024-00495-z

关键词: Structure optimization, Genetic algorithm (GA), Q-learning

Abstract: The structural optimization of electric vehicles involves numerous design variables and constraints, making it a complex engineering optimization task over the past decades. Many population-based evolutionary algorithms encounter issues such as converging to local optima and lacking population diversity when tackling such optimization problems. Consequently, the solutions obtained for the optimization may be flawed or suboptimal. To address these problems, an improved genetic algorithm (GA) based on reinforcement learning is proposed in this paper. The proposed method introduces a population delimitation method based on individual fitness ranking. The population is divided into two parts: the excellent population and the ordinary population, and different selection and cross-mutation methods are applied to each part separately. More efficient crossover and mutation methods are then applied to the ordinary population to enhance the generation of excellent individuals. Furthermore, the proposed approach replaces the traditional fixed crossover and mutation rates with a dynamic selection method based on reinforcement learning to enhance optimization efficiency. A markov decision process model is constructed based on GA environment in this context. The population state determination method and reward method are designed for reinforcement learning in the GA environment, dynamically selecting the most appropriate genetic parameters based on the current state of the population. Finally, the uncertainty in the manufacturing process is introduced into the optimization problem and the case study results demonstrate that the proposed reinforcement learning-based GA significantly outperforms other evolutionary algorithms when applied to solving the structural optimization of electric vehicles.

The full text can be downloaded at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40436-024-00495-z

Key words: Structure optimization, Genetic algorithm (GA), Q-learning