Development of Parallelized RBDO Software System on TARDEC HPC for Durability Optimization of HMMWV System

Principal Investigator
K.K. Choi (U. of Iowa)

University Researchers
Edwin Hardee, Liu Du (U. of Iowa)

Industry
Lingyun Pan (Caterpillar)
Ren-Jye Yang (Ford Motor Company)
Tom Curry, Paul Weal (LMS)

Government
David Gorsich, Wesley Bylsma, David Lamb, Paul Decker, Dmitriy Krayterman, Roberto Garcia, Ted Currier, Steve Schultz (TARDEC)

Student
Nick Gaul (U. of Iowa)

The main objective of this project is to continue the technology transfer to TARDEC by developing and installing a parallelized software system that integrates the University of Iowa developed DRAW code (durability analysis), DSO code (sensitivity analysis), and RBDO/RDO/PBDO/MVDO code (design optimization for reliability and robustness), on the TARDEC High Performance Computing (HPC) platform. Further, the DSO code will be integrated with LMS Virtual.Lab Morpher to allow TARDEC engineers to parameterize ground vehicle solid components very easily and conveniently. The Reliability-based Design Optimization (RBDO) method is an effective way to improve and optimize the design of complex mechanical systems, such as ground vehicles, for fatigue durability, weight reduction, and other optimization goals.

Use of RBDO by TARDEC is expected to improve future designs by reducing weight, increasing the average life of parts subject to fatigue, and decreasing the total lifecycle cost. After testing RBDO methods on the Stryker vehicle and the HMMWV, the method was judged by TARDEC to be an important tool. Current plans are to apply it to the JLTV vehicle, and we hope to impact FCS with it. The methods developed in this framework are expected to support TARDEC efforts such as the Survivability ATO and the Power & Thermal ATO, among other Army Technical Objectives (ATO) and research priorities. Tools from this research will be directly applicable to modeling and simulation for these ATO programs.

The results of this project will be able to support Army’s Reliability-Centered maintenance (RCM) and Condition-Based maintenance (CBM) by identifying locations where the sensors should be mounted (i.e., durability hot spots) for effective data collection.

In the long run, the methods used in the DRAW, DSO, RBDO/RDO/PBDO/MVDO codes will be validated in weight minimization and to meet durability and reliability requirements by utilizing the TARDEC’s Durability Testing Simulators for Army HMMWV components.