Design optimization of multibody systems by sequential approximation (Q1294758)

We propose to couple the multibody analysis and optimization algorithm by approximation concepts. The basic idea is to generate approximations of objective function and constraints in a certain part of the design space, and to find the optimum point for this approximate optimization problem. The approximate problem can be easily solved using a mathematical programming algorithm, without any call to the analysis program. The effectiveness of the approximate optimization approach is demonstrated for three examples: an impact absorber, a slider-crank mechanism, and a stress-constrained four-bar mechanism with flexible beams.