Author Description

This book describes numerical optimization techniques, with emphasis on application to engineering design. These methods may be used to minimize/maximize one or more functions with limits, or constraints, on others. Optimization may be used with almost any computer based analysis program to efficiently improve an engineering design. Chapter 1 presents basic concepts of function minimization. Chapter 2 describes methods for minimizing unconstrained functions of many variables. Chapter 4 through 8 deal with general constrained optimization. These first eight chapters providethe building blocks for Multidiscipline Design Optimization. Chapter 9 describes the specific subjec tof structural optimization and Chapter 10 deals with general applications in mechanical, automotive and aerospaceengineering. These two chapters deal with single discipline optimization. Chapter 11 brings it all together for the design of systems considering several disciplines. This chapter provides an engineering approach to Multidiscipline design optimization that has proved to be effective in industrial applications. Numerous references are provided for further study.