Abstract
Continuous advancements in technology have resulted in customers expecting enhanced performance across multiple operating conditions. In this paper, the desire to meet a variety of objectives after the system has been deployed is accomplished through the design of reconfigurable systems. However, permitting a system to adapt increases both complexity and cost. If this increase is too large, only a subset of design variables can be made adaptable. A multilevel multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) approach is presented to determine the core architecture for a family of three reconfigurable vehicles when accommodating a changing number of adaptable design variables. To illustrate this approach, a case study involving a three-driver racing team is introduced. A common architecture is determined for the three vehicle variants, resulting in lap-time performance increases of 2.08%, 3.27%, and 3.67% when compared to the static, optimized baseline vehicle. The results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of combining reconfigurability with product platforming and MDO.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bowman J, Weisshaar T, Sanders B (2002) Evaluating the impact of morphing technologies on aircraft performance. In: 43rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHA/ACS structures, structural dynamics, and materials conference (held in Denver, CO). AIAA Paper AIAA-2002-1631
de Weck O, Suh ES (2006) Flexible product platforms: framework and case study. In: ASME IDETC and CIE conference (held in Philadelphia, PA). ASME Paper DETC2006-99163
Fellini R, Kokkolaras M, Papalambros P (2006) Commonality decisions in product family design. In: Simpson TW, Siddique J, Jiao J (eds) Product platform and product family design: methods and applications. Springer, New York, pp 157–185
Ferguson S, Lewis K (2006) Effective development of reconfigurable systems using linear state-feedback control. AIAA J 44(4):868–878
Ferguson S, Lewis K (2008) Investigating the interaction between reconfigurability and system mass using multidisciplinary design optimization. In: 49th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC structures, structural dynamics, and materials conference (held in Schaumburg, IL). AIAA Paper AIAA-2008-1803
Ferguson S, Lewis K, Kasprzak E (2007a) Design and optimization of reconfigurable vehicle platforms. In: 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC structures, structural dynamics, and materials conference (held in Honolulu, HI). AIAA Paper AIAA-2007-1880
Ferguson S, Lewis K, de Weck O, Siddiqi A (2007b) Flexible and reconfigurable systems: nomenclature and review. In: 2007 ASME IDETC (held in Las Vegas, NV). ASME Paper DETC2007/DAC-35745
Fujita K (2006) Simultaneous optimization of module combination and module attributes. In: Simpson TW, Siddique J, Jiao J (eds) Product platform and product family design: methods and applications. Springer, New York, pp 186–223
Gantois K, Morris AJ (2004) The multi-disciplinary design of a large-scale civil aircraft wing taking account of manufacturing costs. Struct Multidisc Optim 28(1):31–46
Giassi A, Bennis F, Maisonneuve J-J (2004) Multidisciplinary design optimization and robust design approaches applied to concurrent design. Struct Multidisc Optim 28(5):356–371
Gu X, Renaud JE, Ashe LM, Batill SM, Budhiraja AS, Krajewski LJ (2002) Decision-based collaborative optimization. J Mech Des 124(1):1–13
Hacker K, Kasprzak EM, Lewis K (2000) Racecar optimization and tradeoff analysis in a parallel computing environment. In: SAE motorsports engineering conference & exposition (held in Dearborn, MI). SAE. Paper 2000-01-3564
Jiao J, Simpson TW, Siddique Z (2007) Product family design and platform-based product development: a state-of-the-art review. J Int Manuf 18(1):5–29
Kasprzak E, Lewis K, Milliken D (1999) Steady-state vehicle optimization using Pareto minimum analysis. J Pass Cars 107(6):2624–2631
Khire R, Messac A (2006) Selection-integrated optimization (SIO) methodology for optimal design of adaptive systems. In: 2006 ASME DETC and CIE Conference (held in Philadelphia, PA). ASME Paper DETC2006-99322
Kodiyalam S, Yang RJ, Gu L, Tho CH (2004) Multidisciplinary design optimization of a vehicle system in a scalable, high performance computing environment. Struct Multidisc Optim 26(3–4):256–263
Kokkolaras M, Fellini R, Kim HM, Michelena NF, Papalambros PY (2002) Extension of the target cascading formulation to the design of product families. Struct Multidisc Optim 24(4):293–301
Kroo I, Manning V (2000) Collaborative optimization: status and directions. In: 8th AIAA/NASA/USAF/ISSMO multidisciplinary analysis and optimization symposium (held in Long Beach, CA). AIAA Paper AIAA-2000-4721
Lehnerd AP (1987) Revitalizing the manufacture and design of mature global products. In: Guile BR, Brooks H (eds) Technology and global industry: companies and nations in the world economy. National Academy Press, Washington D. C., pp 49–64
Li W, Huyse L, Padula S (2002) Robust airfoil optimization to achieve drag reduction over a range of mach numbers. Struct Multidisc Optim 24(1):38–50
Marks P (2003) The next 100 years of flight—part two. NewScientist.com News Service URL: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4484. Cited 1 June 2008
Martin ET, Crossley WA (2002) Multiobjective aircraft design to investigate potential geometric morphing features. In: 2nd AIAA ATIO forum (held in Los Angeles, CA.). AIAA Paper AIAA-2002-5859
McAllister CD, Simpson TW (2003) Multidisciplinary robust design optimization of an internal combustion engine. J Mech Des 125(1):124–130
McAllister CD, Simpson TW, Hacker K, Lewis K, Messac A (2005) Integrating linear physical programming within collaborative optimization for multiobjective multidisciplinary design optimization. Struct Multidisc Optim 29(3):178–189
Meyer MH, Lehnerd AP (1997) The power of product platforms: building value and cost leadership. Free Press, New York
Milliken WF, Milliken DL (1995) Race car vehicle dynamics. SAE International, Warrendale, Chaps., pp 16–18
Narayanan S, Azarm S (1999) On improving multiobjective genetic algorithms for design optimization. Struct Multidisc Optim 18(2–3):146–155
Nayak RU, Chen W, Allen JK, Mistree F (1999) A variation-based methodology for product platform design. In: ASME design automation conference (held in Baltimore, MD). ASME Paper DETC2000/DAC-8876
Olewnik A, Lewis K (2006) A decision support framework for flexible system design. J Mech Des 17(1):75–97
Olewnik A, Brauen T, Ferguson S, Lewis K (2004) A framework for flexible systems and its implementation in multiattribute decision making. J Mech Des 126(3):412–419
Pareto V (1906) Manuale di economica polittica. Societa editrice libraia, Milan, Italy, 1906, translated by Schwier AS (1971) Manual of political economy. Macmillan, New York, pp 259–262
Park GJ (2007) Analytic methods in design practice. Springer, Germany
Peters C, Roth B, Crossley WA, Weisshaar TA (2002) Use of design methods to generate and develop missions for morphing aircraft. In: 9th AIAA/ISSMO MAO Conference (held in Atlanta, GA). AIAA Paper AIAA-2002-5468
Pierret S, Filomeno Coelho R, Kato H (2007) Multidisciplinary and multiple operating points shape optimization of three-dimensional compressor blades. Struct Multidisc Optim 33(1):61–70
Ricci S, Terraneo M (2006) Application of MDO techniques to the preliminary design of morphed aircraft. In: 11th AIAA MAO Conference (held in Portsmouth, VA). AIAA Paper AIAA-2006-7018
Secanell M, Suleman A, Gamboa P (2006) Design of a morphing airfoil using aerodynamic shape optimization. AIAA J 44(7):1550–1562
Siddiqi A, de Weck OL, Iagnemma K (2006) Reconfigurability in planetary surface vehicles: modeling approaches and case study. J Brit Interp Soc 59(12):450–460
Simpson TW, Maier JRA, Mistree F (2001) Product platform design: method and application. Res Eng Des 13(1):2–22
Simpson TW, Siddique J, Jiao J (eds) (2006) Product platform and product family design: methods and applications. Springer, New York
Sobieszczanski-Sobieski J (1988) Optimization by decomposition: a step from hierarchic to non-hierarchic systems: In: 2nd NASA/AIR force symposium on recent advances in MAO (held in Reno, NV) NASA CP 3031, pp 1–27
Talley D, Schellpfeffer N, Johnson C, Mavris D (2004) Methodology for the mission requirement determination and conceptual design of a morphing UCAV. In: AIAA 3rd “unmanned unlimited” technical conference, workshop and exhibit (held in Chicago, IL). AIAA Paper AIAA-2004-6597
Tappeta RV, Renaud JE (1997) Multiobjective collaborative optimization. J Mech Des 119(3):403–411
Torstenfelt B, Klarbring A (2006) Structural optimization of modular product families with application to car space frame structures. Struct Multidisc Optim 32(2):133–140
Vale J, Lau F, Suleman A, Gamboa P (2006) Multidisciplinary design optimization of a morphing wing for an experimental UAV. In: 11th AIAA/ISSMO MAOC (held in Portsmouth, VA). AIAA Paper AIAA-2006-7173
Yi SI, Shin JK, Park GJ (2007) Comparison of MDO methods with mathematical examples. Struct Multidisc Optim 35(5):391–402 (OnlineFirst July 18, 2007)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ferguson, S., Kasprzak, E. & Lewis, K. Designing a family of reconfigurable vehicles using multilevel multidisciplinary design optimization. Struct Multidisc Optim 39, 171–186 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-008-0319-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00158-008-0319-3