MSC.

Nastran Structural
Optimization
Applications for
Aerospace Structures

Jack Castro Sr. Technical Representative/Boeing Technical manager

Agenda
MSC.Nastran optimization overview
Airframe Sizing Application
Model tuning and test / analysis
correlation
Detailed panel design

What is Design Optimization

Automated modifications of the analysis
model parameters to achieve a desired
objective while satisfying specified design
requirements.

As an analyst or designer, we have all

performed some sort of optimization
Brute-force optimization
Trial and Error

Optimization Problem Statement

Design Variables:
Find {X} = { X1, X2, , XN }
e.g., thickness of a panel, area of a stiffener

Objective Function:
Minimize F(X)
e.g., weight

Optimization Problem Statement

(cont.)

Subject to:
Inequality constraints:
Gj (X) < 0
j = 1,2,.,L
Design Criteria and margins
Side constraints:
XiL < Xi < XiU
i = 1,2,.,N
Gage allowables

What are the Possible Applications?

Structural design improvements and

sizing
Generation of feasible designs from
infeasible designs
Model matching to produce similar
structural responses
System parameter identification
Configuration evaluations
Sensitivity analysis
Others - (depends on designers creativity)

Basic Features Implemented in

MSC.Nastran

Easy access to design synthesis

capabilities
Concept of design model
Flexible for design model
representation
User-supplied equation interpretation
capability

MSC.Nastran Implementation of
Structural Optimization
Initial
Initial
Design
Design

Structural
Structural
Response
Response
Analysis
Analysis
Constraint
Constraint
Screening
Screening

Sensitivity
Sensitivity
Analysis
Analysis

Improved
Improved
Design
Design
The required number of
Iterations of the external loop
must be small.

Approximate
Approximate
Model
Model

Optimizer
Optimizer

Many Times

Finite Element
Analysis
One time around the loop is referred to as a design cycle or design iteration.

MSC.Nastran Implementation of
Structural Optimization

Implemented in SOL 200

Provides sensitivity information
Multidisciplinary
Variety of Design Variables
Element and material properties
Offsets, orientation vectors
Variety of Responses for objective or constraints
Displacement, stress, force, stability derivatives,
flutter damping values and most other output
quantities
Equation derived responses
External subroutine derived responses

Strengths of MSC.Nastran Structural

Optimization
Efficient performance for small- to large

scale problems
Reliable convergence characteristics
Flexible user interface and user-defined
equations and subroutines
Full implementation of approximation
concepts
Continuous enhancements

General Functions
Solution Sequence
SOL 200
Analysis Types supported
Statics
Normal Modes
Buckling
Direct Frequency Response
Modal Frequency Response
Modal Transient Response
Static Aeroelastic
Aeroelastic flutter
Direct and Modal Complex Eigenvalue

Multi-disciplinary Example
Setup
SOL 200
CEND
SPC = 100
DESOBJ(MIN) = 15
ANALYSIS = STATICS
SUBCASE 1
SUBTITLE = STATIC LOAD 1
DESSUB = 10
DISP = ALL
LOAD = 1
SUBCASE 2
SUBTITLE = STATIC LOAD 2
DESSUB = 20
STRESS = ALL
LOAD = 2

SUBCASE 3
SUBTITLE = Flutter
ANALYSIS = FLUTTER
DESSUB = 30
METHOD = 3
FLUTTER=10
SUBCASE 4
SUBTITLE = Static Aero
ANALYSIS = SAERO
DESSUB = 40
TRIM=4
BEGIN BULK
.
.
ENDDATA

Types of Optimization
MSC.Nastran supports the following two
classes of optimization:
Sizing optimization (e.g., thickness of plate,
cross sectional areas of stiffeners, etc.)
Shape optimization (e.g., optimizing the largest
allowable size of a hole in a plate.)
Shape and sizing optimization can be
performed simultaneously

Specific Applications
Airframe Sizing Process
Test / Analysis Correlation
Detailed Panel Design

Airframe Sizing
SOL 200 used extensively for
airframe sizing at Boeing, Lockheed,
Fairchild-Dornier and others
Recent Examples
Boeing Sonic Cruiser
Boeing 7E7 (ongoing)
Lockheed F-35
FD 728/928 series regional aircraft

Airframe Sizing
Typically Multi-disciplinary
Statics
Flutter
Performance/Control Effectiveness
(static aeroelasticity)

Airframe Sizing
Objective
Weight Minimization
Design Variables
Thicknesses, areas, offsets
Cross-section properties and
dimensions
MSC.Nastran supports defining beam crosssections by defining dimensions of standard
section types (ROD, RECT,TUBE,CHAN,etc.)
User can define additional section types that
are not provided by MSC

Airframe Sizing
Typical Constraints
Stress and force (DRESP1)
Panel Buckling (DRESP3)
Design criteria calculations (DRESP2 or
DRESP3)
Manufacturability criteria (DRESP2 or DRESP3)
Flutter damping values (DRESP1)
Performance rates and effectiveness (e.g. roll
rate and roll effectiveness) (DRESP1 or
DRESP2)

Airframe Sizing Key Ingredients

DRESP3 - User definable and

programmable response equations
New Composite Options
Membrane or bending only
Smeared
Discrete Optimization Best design
variable value selected from user
supplied set of allowed values

Airframe Sizing DRESP3

DRESP3 External Response

Calculator
Funded by Lockheed Martin
Exclusive use until mid-2001
Available, but undocumented in
MSC.Nastran V2001
Formally introduced and documented in
MSC.Nastran V2004

Airframe Sizing DRESP3

DRESP3 Applications
Design criteria that are calculated by inhouse programs
Strength criteria
Buckling criteria
Practicality criteria
Cost analysis
Any user function that has some
dependence on the design variables and
responses available in SOL 200

Airframe Sizing DRESP3

DRESP3 Features
Fortran or C external subroutine using
inputs from Nastran
Common Inputs
Design variable values
Most any Nastran computed response (for
example, displacements, forces, stresses
and many others
Node, Element and Material data
External data

Airframe Sizing Composites

New PCOMP Laminate Options
Funded by Lockheed Martin
Exclusive use until mid-2001
Available, but undocumented in
MSC.Nastran V2001
Formally introduced and documented in
MSC.Nastran V2004

Airframe Sizing Composites

New PCOMP laminate options
MEM Membrane Only
BEND Bending only
SMEAR Smeared or averaged stiffness for
preliminary sizing applications
User specifies thickness of plies for each ply angle,
and ignores stacking order
Bending stiffness [B] computed by factoring
membrane stiffness [A] by T3/12

SMCORE Similar to SMEAR but for

facesheet/core laminates

Airframe Sizing Discrete Optimization

Discrete Sizing
Optimization first performed using continuous
design variables
Continuous design variables then re-sized to
discrete values based upon user supplied lists
Discrete step can be done after each design
cycle or only once at end of the run
Ensures final property values consistent with
available manufacturing gages

Airframe Sizing Discrete Optimization

Four Discrete re-sizing options

Round up to nearest design variable
Round off to the nearest design variable
Conservative Discrete Design
Rounds up or down depending on which
most satisfies constraints

Design of Experiment

Airframe Sizing Additional Options

Fully Stressed Design
MSC.Nastran Toolkit
Integration of in-house codes to
Nastran using client-server methods
Direct access of MSC.Nastran database
Execution of MSC.Nastran modules
instead of entire solution sequences
User customized applications

Airframe Sizing - Example

Fairchild Dornier FD 728 regional
aircraft wing box (reference 2)

Airframe Sizing - Example

Design Variable Summary

Airframe Sizing - Example

Design Criteria Summary

Airframe Sizing - Conclusion

The achieved sizing results of the wing box
proved that is is very efficient to apply MDO in a
real life aircraft design cycle. Once all the tools
for pre- and post-processing were in place, it
became clear that the sizing process could be
completed in a much shorter time than that of a
traditional means (reference 2)
Furthermore, the MDO sizing process produced
the much desired minimum weight design with its
economic and performance benefits (reference
2)

Airframe Sizing - References

Reference 1: Lockheed-Martin
Integration of External Design Criteria with MSC.Nastran
Structural Analysis and Optimization. Paper No. 2001-15,
MSC.Software 2002 Worldwide Aerospace and
Technology Showcase,D.K. Barker, J.C. Johnson, E.H.
Johnson, D.P. Layfield

Reference 2: Fairchild-Dornier
Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Of A Regional
Aircraft Wing Box. G. Schuhmacher, I. Murra, L. Wang, A.
Laxander, O.J. OLeary. 9th AIAA Symposium on
Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization, September,
2002. Paper: AIAA 2002 5406

Test Analysis Correlation

SOL 200 is useful tool to aid in model
updating to match test
Correlation to Ground Vibration Test
(GVT)
Model Tuning
Eigenvalues
Eigenvectors (V2004)
Frequency Response Function (FRF)

Test Analysis Correlation

Process
Define Error Function as objective
Apply design variables that influence
desired outputs
Constrain desired quantities to near test
values

Test Analysis Error Functions

Typical Error function:
Minimize

wt i (

ai - ti 2
)
ai

ai = ith analysis response

ti = ith test response
Wti = ith weighting factor
Responses can be displacements,
accelerations, frequencies or any computed
response (DRESP1, DRESP2 or DRESP3)

Error Function input on DEQATN entry

referenced by DRESP2 and selected by
DESOBJ as objective function.

Test Analysis Error Functions

More complex error functions
Bayesian parameter Estimation
Incorporates uncertainties in both test
and model data

Test Analysis Design Variables

Which model parameters are uncertain
that influence desired response?
Typical design variables
Structural and viscous damping properties

Useful for matching FRF peak amplitudes

Material properties and densities
Mass distributions and offsets
Spring stiffness for fasteners, bolts, welds and other
general connections
Gages
Thicknesses, section dimensions, etc.

Test - Analysis Constraints

Place bounds on desired responses
Example: Analysis response = test response +3%

Place constraint on desired mass and

center of gravity location if mass is being
changed or redistributed
See section 3.3 V70.7 MSC.Nastran Release
Notes

Place upper and lower bound gage

constraints based upon model
uncertainties

Test Analysis Guidelines

Matching important mode
frequencies is easiest to set up
Caution: No guarantee that resulting
mode shapes agree with test

Instead of frequency only matching,

consider also
Matching frequency response function
at key nodes, or
Matching eigenvector response at key
nodes (V2004)

Test Analysis Guidelines

Recommend pre-test planning
MSC.Procor
Determine good drive point(s)
Determine good accelerometer locations

Recommend running a modal

assurance criteria (MAC) check after
optimization to compare analysis
modes to test modes
MSC.Procor
MSC.Nastran POSTMACA.V200x

Model Updating Reference

Updating MSC/NASTRAN Models to Match
Test Data, Ken Blakely, The MacNealSchwendler Corporation. Presented at the
1991 MSC World Users Conference
http://www.mscsoftware.com/support/libra
ry/conf/wuc91/p05091.pdf

Detailed Panel Design

Detailed Panel Design

Objective: Minimize Weight
Constraints
Buckling critical load factor >= 1.0
Maximum Von Mises Stress < 30000 psi
Design Variables
Plate Thickness
Frame Height
Stringer Height

Detailed Panel Design

Panel does not initially meet buckling
criteria. Critical Load Factor = .91

Detailed Panel Design

After Optimization, buckling criteria
satisfied, weight minimized. Critical Load
Factor=1.0

Detailed Panel Design

Objective Function History

Detailed Panel Design

Design Variable History

Detailed Panel Design

Maximum Design Constraint History

Detailed Panel Design

Comparison of Objective function to
Constraint History

Detailed Panel Design Setup

Case Control

Detailed Panel Design Setup

Design Model

Detailed Panel Design Guidelines

Define reasonable design variables
Define appropriate design constraints
Stress
Displacement
Laminate or ply failure criteria
Use DRESP1, DRESP2 or DRESP3 as required
Buckling

Shape design variables can be

incorporated to size cutouts