Integrated Design Optimization and Analysis Using a Spreadsheet Application

Abstract

The usual approach in structural design optimization requires that at each iteration of the numerical optimization algorithm, a set of finite element analysis equations are solved to compute the objective/constraint functions. Such a nested solution procedure is straightforward because optimization and analysis processes are kept separate, but wasteful since a complete analysis is performed for each intermediate non-optimal design (one at each iteration). This paper illustrates an economical alternative approach where the finite element equations are formulated as part of the optimization problem by treating the unknowns as design variables and equations as equality constraints. This integrated problem can be solved using a spreadsheet application which serves as a highly suitable platform for integrating and solving the optimization and analysis simultaneously since all spreadsheet cells are interlinked. Together with widely available spreadsheet software, these techniques represent a very convenient tool not just for engineers to learn about the subject of design optimization, but also to gain physical insight into their design problems and perform design optimization routinely in their work.