Toward a practical design optimization tool

Design optimization methodologies for sizing and shape optimal design have undergone an evolutionary process over the last two decades. The motivation behind the changes is to develop a methodology with no practical limitations on the nature and size of the problem that can be solved. In this research, a personal computer-based shape optimal design system is developed with particular attention to robustness, generality, efficiency, and pre- and postprocessing. To achieve these objectives, the hybrid natural shape optimization approach is developed and used with adequate control over the velocity field matrix generation. User control over model creation and mesh generation makes it possible to minimize mesh distortion and the need for remeshing. Design sensitivity expressions using the implicit differentiation method are derived. It is shown that the analytical derivatives can be computed efficiently for a variety of functions. Numerical examples are solved to illustrate the developed methodology using a software system developed under the MS-DOS operating system.