Effective development of flexible systems in multidisciplinary optimization

As the complexity of multidisciplinary system design has substantially increased, so too has the need for incorporating tradeoffs into the design process. By incorporating such tradeoffs, the optimal system performance of each objective is sacrificed to increase the overall range of the system's functionality. Flexible systems have been defined as systems designed to maintain a high level of performance through real time change in their configuration when operating conditions or requirements change in a predictable or unpredictable way. When effectively applied, flexible systems have the ability to achieve the optimal performance for all system objectives, while also meeting the different constraints faced by each discipline. This method of designing effective flexible systems focuses on determining the manner in which the design variables of a system change, as well as investigating the stability of a flexible system through the application of a state-feedback controller. This method is then applied to a three discipline - structural, aerodynamics, and handling - study involving the design of a Formula One racecar traversing a pre-defined racetrack.