Dimensional synthesis of a four-bar linkage for closed-path generation performed by the differential evolution algorithm combined with the marine predators algorithm

Abstract

This article proposes a new approach to the synthesis of four-bar mechanisms by means of a new modified differential evolution (DE) algorithm developed by incorporating a part of the marine predators algorithm (MPA) into the corresponding DE algorithm strategy. This improves the strategy of the DE algorithm and enables it to find a solution in the global optimum space, thus contributing to the optimal performance of the algorithm. The proposed DE algorithm combined with the MPA was tested on three examples of the dimensional synthesis of the four-bar mechanisms for closed-path generation without prescribed timing, a large number of design variables being optimized per each problem. The proposed method ensures faster convergence, with a minimal chance of premature convergence in local optimum, which is not necessarily global optimum of the desired problem. The results of this research conducted on the examples provided in the article suggest that the objective function values are significantly lower if the proposed algorithm is used than if only the standard DE algorithm or the MPA is used to perform the synthesis. The proposed algorithm can be successfully used to solve very complex problems of both four-bar mechanisms and mechanisms of different geometry.