A response surface based hierarchical approach to multidisciplinary robust optimization design

A multidisciplinary robust optimization design framework, concurrent subsystem robust design optimization, is proposed to obtain robust optimum solution in the large-scaled and coupled system. In this framework, response surfaces in the form of artificial neural networks provide information pertaining to system performance characteristics, and individual subsystems engage in performing robust optimization design in parallel while communicating with the system level. This optimization approach incorporates uncertainty analysis and generates a global robust optimum solution in an iterative fashion. Two applications are considered, and the results demonstrate that the approach yields a reasonable robust optimum solution, and it is a potential and efficient multidisciplinary robust optimization approach .