Case study for network-distributed collaborative design and simulation: extended life optimization for M1 Abrams tank road arm

摘要

A framework has been developed for distributed simulation and design of complex systems, with particular application to complete vehicle systems. An object-oriented architecture has been adopted, enabling the use of distributed and heterogeneouscomputing resources, custom and commercial legacy software, and different models and optimization tools. The industry standard, Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), is used to provide network-distribution services. To demonstrate thecapabilities of the distributed design framework, this paper presents results of a study conducted to optimize the life of an M1 Abrams tank road arm. This study demonstrates the reconfigurability of the design framework, as various computing resources,simulation and analysis tools, and optimization algorithms are employed.