Multiobjective Flywheel Design: A DOE-Based Concept Exploration Task

Abstract

Abstract In structural design, expensive function evaluations can be replaced by accurate function approximations to facilitate the effective solution of multiobjective problems. In this paper we address the question: How can we solve multiobjective shape optimization problems effectively using a Design-of-Experiments (DOE) -based approach? To answer this question we address issues of creating non-orthogonal experimental designs, when dependencies among the parameters that represent shape functions are present. A screening strategy is used to gain knowledge about the structural behavior within the design space and the trade-off among multiple design objectives is efficiently modeled through employing response surfaces during design optimization. The shape optimization of a flywheel where two conflicting design goals are present is used to illustrate the approach. Our focus is on the method rather than the results per se.