Substructuring Methods for Design Sensitivity Analysis and Structural Optimization.

摘要

This report presents an iterative method for optimal design of large scale structures that incorporates the concept of substructuring. Design sensitivity analysis for the method is developed in a state space setting, in which the symmetry of the structural stiffness matrix is utilized to define efficient adjoint calculations that yield explicit design derivatives. The entire procedure is then presented as a convenient computational algorithm. Applications of the method are given for optimal design of two and three dimensional truss, idealized wing, and framed structures. Computer programs based on the present algorithm are presented for three truss structures (10 member plane cantilever truss, 200 member plane truss, 63 member space truss), three idealized wing structures (18 element wing box beam, 39 element rectangular wing, 150 element swept wing), and three framed structures (one-bay two-story plane frame, two-bay six-story plane frame, 48 element space frame). Results obtained with the substructing formulation are compared first with results obtained without substructing and then with results obtained with other methods.