An efficient and flexible web services-based multidisciplinary design optimisation framework for complex engineering systems

Multidisciplinary design optimisation (MDO) involves multiple disciplines, multiple coupled relationships and multiple processes, which is implemented by different specialists dispersed geographically on heterogeneous platforms with different analysis and optimisation tools. The product design data integration and data sharing among the participants hampers the development and applications of MDO in enterprises seriously. Therefore, a multi-hierarchical integrated product design data model (MH-iPDM) supporting the MDO in the web environment and a web services-based multidisciplinary design optimisation (Web-MDO) framework are proposed in this article. Based on the enabling technologies including web services, ontology, workflow, agent, XML and evidence theory, the proposed framework enables the designers geographically dispersed to work collaboratively in the MDO environment. The ontology-based workflow enables the logical reasoning of MDO to be processed dynamically. The evidence theory-based uncertainty reasoning and analysis supports the quantification, aggregation and analysis of the conflicting epistemic uncertainty from multiple sources, which improves the quality of product. Finally, a proof-of-concept prototype system is developed using J2EE and an example of supersonic business jet is demonstrated to verify the autonomous execution of MDO strategies and the effectiveness of the proposed approach.