The optimal design parameters of fluid-loaded shells, provided with actively controlled stiffeners, are determined using a rational multi-criteria optimization approach. The adopted approach aims at simultaneously minimizing the shell vibration, associated sound radiation, weight of the stiffening rings, the control energy, and the cost of the shell/stiffeners assembly while maximizing the controllability and observability indices. A finite element model is presented to predict the vibration and noise radiation from cylindrical shells, with active stiffeners, into the surrounding fluid domain. The production cost as well as the life cycle and maintenance costs of the stiffened shells are computed using the Parametric Review of Information for Costing and Evaluation (PRICE) model. A Pareto/min-max multi-criteria optimization approach is then utilized to select the optimal locations and dimensions of the active stiffeners. Numerical examples are presented to compare the vibration and noise radiation characteristics of the optimally designed/controlled stiffened shells with the corresponding characteristics of plain un-stiffened and uncontrolled shells. The obtained results emphasize the importance of the adopted multi-criteria optimization approach in the design of quiet, low weight and low cost underwater shells which are suitable for various critical applications.
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