A Study of Structural Optimization Design System Based on Product Model in Shipbuilding

Recently, a structural optimization design system linked with a FEM analysis system is going to be useful for a structural design, by a radical development of a computer environment. But, when structural engineers use this design system in practice, complicated operations are required to make an input-data. So this design system is not “a Practical Tool” for designers, we have to develop the structural optimization design system which is used easily for designers.Authors research the CIM for shipbuilding and develop a prototype CIM system. We call this system SODAS (System Of Design and Assembling for Shipbuilding). In the SODAS, designers can design a ship structure by design parameters and evaluate a designed structure by FEM directly.In this study, authors try to integrate a commercial structural optimization design system (GENESIS : which is developed in NASA) with the SODAS. We make relations clear between design parameters in the SODAS and design variables in the structural optimization design system. And we propose the method of system integration used by these relations. In the concrete, we develop the structural optimization design system based on the Product Model which supports designers powerfully by presenting optimal design-values.