Shape and trajectory optimisation of hypersonic waveriders: For long range, stable and controllable re-entry flight

Waveriders are high-lifting hypersonic configurations with great potential to become a future reusable launch vehicle concept. However, in a re-entry flight scenario, standard waverider designs face challenges such as stability, controllability, heat load management, and performance at off-design conditions. In this research, a baseline...

A multi-disciplinary design optimization framework with integrated structural transformation for highly loaded radial turbines

The use of CFD-based optimizations is becoming a standard for turbomachinery design. Although the use of such optimizations can lead to great improvements of the machine performances, there are still several shortcomings in the common design procedure of turbomachines. In fact, this entails the optimization of the component shape, and only a...

Response Surface Based Design Optimization of a Low-Pressure Microresistojet's Heat Exchanger

A Low-Pressure Micro-resistojet (LPM) is a type of in-space electrothermal propulsion system for satellites that works by heating low-pressure (50 to 300 Pa) fluid flowing through microchannels/slots (typically <1 mm diameter) using resistive heating elements like thin-film Molybdenum. This thesis delineates a response surface based method to...

Design of a Fan-Out Panel-Level SiC MOSFET Power Module Using Ant Colony Optimization-Back Propagation Neural Network

A new panel-level silicon carbide (SiC) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) power module was developed by using the fan-out and embedded chip technologies. To achieve the more effective thermal management and higher reliability under thermal cycling, a new optimization method called Ant colony optimization-back...

An evaluation of safety assessment methods for a reinforced concrete frame using non-linear finite element analyses

In order to perform a reassessment of existing structures or design new structures in a more efficient and economical way non-linear finite element (NLFE) models are used to take into account all non-linear behavior in reinforced concrete structures. The Model Code 2010 (fib, 2012) suggest several safety formats to perform non-linear finite...

Probabilistic Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams without Shear Reinforcement

Continuous River Levee Safety Assessment based on a Reliability Analysis

A design scheme is proposed to evaluate the safety of continuous linear structure i.e. river levee. The scheme is developed to establish a procedure to continuously evaluate the stability failure of embankment during flood runoff by seepage, and to identify locations for reinforcement of river levee. A 20km stretch of a fairly large river...

Performance of reliability methods in geomechanical applications

Reliability-based design is an approach currently gaining more popularity for geotechnical engineering. Neverthless, its implementation poses several challenges, one being the additional time (usually significant) in order to perform it. An important portion of this additional time comes from the need to perform many scenarios to compute the...

Mixture optimization of cement treated demolition waste with recycled masonry and concrete

Due to environmental reasons and the shortage of natural resources, it is greatly valuable to recycle construction and demolition waste (CDW) as much as possible. One of effective ways to reuse more CDW is to produce a cemented road base material. The recycled CDW however is a mix of recycled masonry and concrete with a wide variation in...

Uncertainty-based Design Optimization of Structures with Bounded-But-Unknown Uncertainties

Gradient-based approximate design optimization

The research presented in this thesis deals with gradient-enhanced approximate design optimization. This research has been carried out as part of the ADOPT project (Approximate Design OPTimization), a joint STW project with the Eindhoven University of Technology. In structural optimization, sensitivity analysis is often performed by means of the...