Multilevel substructuring sensitivity analysis

Abstract Solution techniques for handling large scale engineering optimization problems are reviewed. Potentials for practical applications as well as their limited capabilities are discussed. A new solution algorithm for design sensitivity is proposed. The algorithm is based upon the multilevel substructuring concept to be coupled with the adjoint method of sensitivity analysis. There are no approximations involved in the present algorithm except the usual approximations introduced due to the discretization of the finite element model. It is a well-known fact that substructuring concept can be exploited in order to reduce computer core memory requirement and the total solution time executed. These advantages have been realized not only for statics analysis, but also for design sensitivity analysis. For truly large scale structures, however, it is necessary to use multilevel substructuring. The present paper has formulated a multilevel algorithm for design sensitivity analysis. A two-level substructuring example is used to verify the proposed algorithm. The sensitivity vector obtained by the multilevel algorithm is exactly identical to the one obtained by a more conventional approach.