M.Sc. Degree in Mechanical Engineering: Methods For Advanced Mechanical Design

M.Sc.
Degree in Mechanical Engineering
METHODS FOR ADVANCED MECHANICAL DESIGN

M. Guagliano
MULTIOBJECTIVE STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION

Structural optimization
•  Topological optimization, does not cover all the
aspects of the optimal structural design.
•  Topological optimization can be seen as a part of the

wider discipline of structural design optimization.
•  This latter can be defined as the decision process

finalized to identify the “best solution”.
•  When more than one aspects have to be optimized, it

is necessary to develop methods able to consider all
POLITECNICO DI MILANO
the different aspects to be optimized and able to

guide the engineer toward a rational decision instead
of relying on personal experience and feeling.
M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization
Structural design
•  The process of structural design is based on a series

of equations that describe the structure behaviour,
once some assumptions are defined.
•  During the sizing and strength assessment steps
these equations are treated as inequalities (i.e.:
σ<σamm) that are due to the design constraints, and
that must be satisfied with a reasonable safety
margin
•  Generally, the number of the associated variables
and the equations does not allow us to consider them
in analytical terms.

Structural design
Thus, the first step is pre-sizing, which allows us to estimate

the value of the variables supposed to be the most important
ones.
The solution respects every constraint of the design, but is not

unique.
Comment: the control of the engineer on the solution is quite

poor. (i.e: in this way we cannot understand how to modify the
solution to improve the results)

Structural design
Summary
The interconnections among the different constraints (variable

subjected to more than one constraint) do not permit, apart
very simple cases, to modify the value of one variable without
losing the certainty that all the design constraints are still
respected.
????
Task: how to find an optimal solution in a multi variable,
multi-constraint and (sometime) multi-objective problem?
•  Design by trial and error approach: time consuming

and without the certainty to find a solution able to
guarantee the best performances with respect of the
function to optimize.
•  Need to define a rigorous approach able to find out the

maximum/minimum values once a function to be
optimized is identified. (OPTIMAL DESIGN).

Once it is assigned a physical system, it is assumed we are always able
to define a mathematical model able to describe the behaviour of the
system. The optimization process requires a clear definition of:
SYSTEM, makes a function (input/output)
MATHEMATICAL MODEL: description of the real system and of its

functions (modelling of the problem)
FIGURES OF MERIT: (objective functions to be defined)

__________
What is the criterion to follow?
“SIMPLEST MEANINGFUL MODEL” !

MODELLING – CRITERIA
1.  Do not build a complicated model when a simple one will

suffice.
2.  Beware of moulding the problem to fit the technique.
3.  The deduction phase of modelling must be conducted
rigorously.
4.  Models should be validated prior to implementation.
5.  A model should neither be pressed to do, nor criticized for
failing to do, that for which it was never intended.

MODELLING – CRITERIA
6.  Some of the primary benefits of modeling are

associated with the process of developing the
model.
7.  A model cannot be better than the information that
goes into it (Remember: Garbage In, Garbage Out
(GIGO). Models do not create information, but
condense or convert information).

Structural optimization - example

FIGURE OF MERIT: objective functions (if they can be
quantified)
The objective functions are identified by relations like the

ones that follows:
The behaviour of a physical system is described by a discrete

number of functions that can be assessed by a set of
principles/standard strictly related to the formulation of the
design problem.
That set is called “set of design criteria” and must be minimal
If the performances of the system can be expressed in

mathematical formulas, these formulas are called
objective functions.
The objective functions are expressed as functions of a

set of parameters, called design variables.
The objective functions are the quantities that the

engineering designer wishes to optimize

Optimization of a cantilever
EXAMPLE: design of a cantilever with rectangular section.
Objective: to find the design variables, b and h, of the section

able to gurantee:
-  Minimum mass
-  Minimum deflection
By respecting the following constraints:
•  The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;

•  Buckling must be avoided.

DESIGN VARIABLES
•  The design variables are the variables that are related
to the mathmatical model of the system during the
optimization design. These variables can be grouped
in a vector and can be identified as:
•  Sometime the engineer can choose to fix some of

those variables to simplify the optimization process.
Thse fixed variables can be re-classified as
parameters. The choice of the variables is not unique
but it is quite important to select independent

variables
DESIGN VARIABLES- DEFINITION OF CREATIVITY
-  If the number of variables and the ranges of the values

remain the same during the design process, this is routine
design;
-  If the number of variables remains the same but the range

can varies, then this is innovative design,
-  If the number of variables is changing, this is creative

design.


able to gurantee:
-  Minimum mass
-  Minimum deflection
•  The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;;


DESIGN CONSTRAINTS
The constraints are conditions to guarantee the functions the
system is designed for.
Where x is the vector of the design variables. The constraints

are generally limitations to the range the variable values can
assume (side constraints, called lower bounds, upper bounds).
The constraints of the system model are constraints on the

output of the system (values of the objective functions.

Sometime such limits are given by the physical laws governing
the system

able to gurantee:
-  Minimize the mass

-  Minimize the deflection
•  The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;;


Example: design of a cantilever with rectangular section.

Example: design of a cantilever with rectangular section.

To solve the problem it is possible to calculate m(b, h) and y(b, h) as a
function of all the possible combinations of b and h.
(a) Range of b and h values considered in the optimization step, (b) beam
mass m(b, h) and beam deflection y(b, h). The set of the values in (b)
considers the constraints on the maximum stress and on buckling,

Example: optimized design of a rectangular cantilever

To generate the functions m(b, h) and y(b, h) all the possible combinationns
of the design variables b e h have been considered (after having verified
that m(b, h) and y(b, h) satisfy the design requirements).
The question is:

How can we find the values of b and h that minimise both the
objectives (minimum weight and minimum deflection ant the free end)
at the same time?
The solution is not trivial and requires some preliminary thought.


Consider the set of values mA(bA, hA) and yA(bA, hA)

This couple of values bA, hA defines a design solution that should not be
considered by the designer. In other words it shuold not be considered for
optimization.

If a not optimal solution A is considered, other solutions exist that fit better
than A at least one objective function.
The solutions that do not lie on the bold line (with ymin and mmin as extreme
values) should be not considered by the design engineer.
On the contrary, the optimal solutions lies on that line, called, detta “Pareto-
optimal set”. The solution the engineer should look at and choose should be
one of the Pareto optimal set the optimal solution is not unique.
Example: optimized design of a rectangular cantilever - Summary
The solution of the problem where just the mass has to be optimized can be
expressed as:
In a similar way, if just the deflection is of interest and must be optimized:
This means that if the function to optimized is scalar, the optimal solution is
unique:
But, if the function to optimize is a vector, the solution is not unique,

During the optimization of a complex system, the engineer, before taking any
decision, must get a deep knowledge of the system of interest and of its
performance. In particular must understand the limits of the system.
.
If the reference case is considered, assume that point D cannot be reached if

the system is not modified. Also mmin e ymin are important limits of the objective
functions (performances of the system). These limits depend on the system

investigated and could be changed by varying the admissible range of the
design variables.
An important reference point is the so called “ideal point” or “utopic point”, U.

This is the point whose coordinates are (mmin, ymin): a cantilever with such
characteristics cannot exist but, if it were possible, would be the best solution.
U can be used to choose the optimal solution among the ones of the Pareto
set.
By intuition and instinct the engineer is guided toward solutions localized near
the point U.

I metodi evoluzionari

Optimal design – general method
OPTIMAL DESIGN – SINGLE OBJECTIVE

Objective of the scalar optimal design is to identify the values of the design
X with some assigned constraints g(x), in such a way that the one single
function is minimized (maximized). In formulas:
The subset is the space of the design variables.

(if the objective function must be maximized and not minimized, the dual
function can be introduced, f’(x)=-f(x)

OPTIMAL DESIGN – SINGLE OBJECTIVE - DEFINITIONS

OPTIMAL DESIGN – SINGLE OBJECTIVE DEFINITIONS


Existence of the solution
The problem must be well posed, the domain of the feasible solutions
(defined by the functional constraints) is not empty. The problem is well
constrained.
Example:
Min f(a)=a P/a<Sy/η a<Amax
(a=cross section – P=applied load - Amax =maximum section - η=safety factor)
If Pη/Sy>Amax no feasible solutions exist.


Active constraints
An active constraint is a constraint that, if removed, alterates the position of
the minimum value.
(this is important for the engineer).

MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMAL DESIGN –

Pareto optimal solution
When a multiobjective problem is assigned with ndv design variables and nof objective
functions, the optimal Pareto solution x*i (not dominated, efficient and not inferior)
satisfies the following conditions:
The optimal Pareto solutions are infinite. The full set of Pareto optimal solutions
defines the set of the optimal solution according to the Pareto theory.
Assigned a solution x*i, if an objective function is changed to improve it, at least
another one is made worst.
For the non-optimal solutions the value of at least one objective function fl can be
reduced without increasing the vaues of the other functions.
The impossibility to optimize at the same time all of the objective functions is a
characteristic of the multi-objective problems (MOP).
Summary
The “Pareto Optimum” or “Pareto efficiency” is a concept that is realized when

the resource allocation makes not possible to improve the system in the Pareto
way; this means that it is not possible to improve the value of an objective
function without worsen another one
The Pareto front (set) is the set of the optimal solutions, that is the front of the
“not dominated” solutions, where it is not possible to decrease the value of an
objective function without increasing at least one of the other objective functions.
According to the Pareto theory a solution dominates another solution if it is better

of this latter with respect of one of the objectives, without worsen any other
objective.

MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMAL DESIGN

Example: optimal solution, two-objective
optimization
The dashed area represents the space of

the design variables in the space of the
objective functions. The set of the optimal
Pareto solutions is defined by the curve
b-c.
Solution a is not optimal: every solutionin the

indicated area can reduce both the objective
functions f1 e f2.

OPTIMAL DESIGN– Implementation
The Pareto’s theory considers simultaneously contrasting objectives and does

not consider scalar functions; it requires particular algorithms to be
implemented
The problem of the research of the optimum design can be faced, from a
computational point of view, by using different optimization algorithms both
evolutionary, based on genetic routines and neural networks, and more
traditional deterministic algorithms.
In general, different algorithms are used to solve different multiobjective

linear/non linear/continuous/discrete/mixed, etc. problems.
Different strategies can be chosen to afford different problems.
The concept introduced with the cantilever case can be generalized to

complex systems with many design variables and different objective
functions. The solving procedure changes with the complexity of the
problem.
Assume to face the problem of a system defined by 10 design variables
Ndv and 30 objective functions nof. Each design variable can assume nv=
10 different values within the definiton range. Assigned a combination of
the design variables, consider ts=1s the time needed for a simulation albe
to give the valu of a single deign function. With the general method, the
number of the design variables is:
ncdv=nvndv
And the total time needed to calculate all the objective functions as a
function of all the possible combunations of the design variables is:
Tt=tsnofnvndv, This means: 3E11s=9645 years!!! NOT AFFORDABLE!!

OPTIMAL DESIGN – PARETO OPTIMAL SOLUTION

n-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION
It is necessary to generate, first of all, a meaningful number of data to be
analyzed.
.


Pareto optimal solution – Method of the weighted sum
A popular method to find the set of the optimal Pareto optimized solutions is
the method of the weighted sum. By minimizing the weighted sum of the
objective functions with different weight factors, different points on the
Pareto sets can be generated
(the objective functions are normalized, the weights are between 0 and 1)
By changing the weights, different points of the optimal Pareto sets are
systematically generated..
The weights are not directly related to the importance of the objective
functions but allow us to localize some points of the optimal Pareto set.


Pareto optimal solution – Method of the weighted sum
The optimal Pareto set is obtained by changing the coefficients λ.
Es.: two objectives optimization
The Pareto set is found by varying the

Coefficients λi.


Pareto optimal solution – Method of the constraints
A more efficient method to find the Pareto optimal set of solutions is the
Constraints Method. Only one function is considered as objective function,
the other ones are considered as if they were constraints.
The problem is reduced to a standard non linear problem and the Pareto set
is obtained by varying the constraint levels εi, i= 2, 3…nof.
This makes of sure the existence of the solution for the constrained
problem. If the problem is solved for every possible value of εi and the
resulting solutions are unique, these solutions form the Pareto optimal set.
Otherwise the points of the set must be selected by direct comparison.
OPTIMAL DESIGN – PARETO OPTIMAL

SOLUTION
Pareto optimal solution – Method of the
constraints
If just two objectives are considered, thus
the minimum of f1(x) is the point indicated in
the figure.
The region of the possible solutions is the
grey one. The minimum f1(x) is a not
dominated solution of the problem MOP. By
varying the constraint level ε a different
minimum is calculated for f1 and a different
not dominated solution.

Optimal design –

M.Sc. Degree in Mechanical Engineering: Methods For Advanced Mechanical Design

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M.Sc.

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

METHODS FOR ADVANCED MECHANICAL DESIGN

MULTIOBJECTIVE STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION

• Topological optimization can be seen as a part of the

• This latter can be defined as the decision process

• When more than one aspects have to be optimized, it

the different aspects to be optimized and able to

• The process of structural design is based on a series

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

Thus, the first step is pre-sizing, which allows us to estimate

The solution respects every constraint of the design, but is not

Comment: the control of the engineer on the solution is quite

solution to improve the results)

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

The interconnections among the different constraints (variable

• Design by trial and error approach: time consuming

• Need to define a rigorous approach able to find out the

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

SYSTEM, makes a function (input/output)

MATHEMATICAL MODEL: description of the real system and of its

FIGURES OF MERIT: (objective functions to be defined)

“SIMPLEST MEANINGFUL MODEL” !

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

1. Do not build a complicated model when a simple one will

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

6. Some of the primary benefits of modeling are

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

The objective functions are identified by relations like the

The behaviour of a physical system is described by a discrete

If the performances of the system can be expressed in

The objective functions are expressed as functions of a

The objective functions are the quantities that the

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

EXAMPLE: design of a cantilever with rectangular section.

Objective: to find the design variables, b and h, of the section

By respecting the following constraints:

• The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;

• Buckling must be avoided.

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

• Sometime the engineer can choose to fix some of

but it is quite important to select independent

DESIGN VARIABLES- DEFINITION OF CREATIVITY

- If the number of variables and the ranges of the values

- If the number of variables remains the same but the range

- If the number of variables is changing, this is creative

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

EXAMPLE: design of a cantilever with rectangular section.

Objective: to find the design variables, b and h, of the section

By respecting the following constraints:

• The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;;

• Buckling must be avoided.

M. Guagliano – Multiobjective optimization

Where x is the vector of the design variables. The constraints

The constraints of the system model are constraints on the

output of the system (values of the objective functions.

EXAMPLE: design of a cantilever with rectangular section.

Objective: to find the design variables, b and h, of the section

- Minimize the mass

By respecting the following constraints:

• The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;;

• Buckling must be avoided.

•  Topological optimization can be seen as a part of the

•  This latter can be defined as the decision process

•  When more than one aspects have to be optimized, it

•  The process of structural design is based on a series

•  Design by trial and error approach: time consuming

•  Need to define a rigorous approach able to find out the

1.  Do not build a complicated model when a simple one will

6.  Some of the primary benefits of modeling are

•  The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;

•  Buckling must be avoided.

•  Sometime the engineer can choose to fix some of

-  If the number of variables and the ranges of the values

-  If the number of variables remains the same but the range

-  If the number of variables is changing, this is creative

•  The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;;

•  Buckling must be avoided.

-  Minimize the mass

•  The maximum stress must be lower than the allowable one;;

•  Buckling must be avoided.