Optimal Lightweight Engineering Design via a Three-Block Solver Scheme for Mechanical Analysis

This paper provides an introduction to structural design optimization of dynamic systems. Cast as an enabler of lightweight engineering design via its virtuous circle, design optimization is shown in collaboration with the mechanical modeling. A general form of the mechanical model is shown via a differential–algebraic equation categorized into three elementary building blocks: governing equations, nonlinear solver and time integration. The three-block solving scheme enables a modular and implementation-near view to complicated analysis. This gives a clear view to the nontrivial task of analytical sensitivity analysis, especially when using direct differentiation. This introduced methodology is applied to the gradient-based design optimization of a morphing wing using flexible multibody dynamics. The approach using analytical sensitivity analysis is compared with numerical finite differencing.