Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization of Complex Engineering
Systems with Applications to Aerospace and Automotive
Dr. Kamran Behdinan | P.Eng., FCSME, FPWC
Professor
NSERC Chair in "Multidisciplinary Engineering Design"
Director, U of T - Institute for Multidisciplinary Design and Innovation (IMDI)
Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | University of Toronto
5 King's College Rd.| Toronto | Ontario, Canada | M5S 3G8
The increasing complexity of engineering systems has sparked interest in
multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO). Multidisciplinary design optimization can
be described as a methodology for design of systems that involves interaction among
several disciplines, and the system performance in more than one discipline can be
affected by the designer. The interdisciplinary coupling inherent in designing many
engineering systems creates organizational challenges for implementing MDO techniques
and also increases computational burden and complexity. These difficulties are
particularly evident in the design of aerospace and automotive systems, a process that
involves complex analysis, many disciplines, and a large design space.
Traditional engineering design optimization methods (e.g. gradient-based design
optimization techniques) limit the intercalations among different disciplines and their
associated coupled design variables, as well as the design search space; hence lead to
sub-optimal design solutions. Fortunately, the advancement of MDO techniques and
computing capacity has enabled us to tackle design of complex engineering systems,
which involve high fidelity analysis and thousands of couple design variables across
several disciplines. Furthermore, the global search methods integrated in these MDO
structures can be applied to both continuous and discrete variables; therefore enable the
designer to achieve globally optimum design solution.
In the first part, a general overview of MDO structures and their applications to complex
engineering systems will be presented. In addition, results of a few successful
applications of MDO methods to aerospace and automotive structures will be shown. In
the second part, the implementation of multidisciplinary approach to engineering design
education and innovation at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Applied Science and
Engineering, will be introduced. Next, possible participation and collaboration with the
University of Toronto – Institute for Multidisciplinary Design and Innovation (UTIMDI0 will be discussed.