Optimal design of underwater stiffened shells

The optimal design parameters of stiffened shells are determined using a rational multicriteria optimization approach. The adopted approach aims at simultaneously minimizing the shell vibration, associated sound radiation, weight of the stiffening rings as well as the cost of the stiffened shell. A finite element model is developed to determine the vibration and noise radiation from cylindrical shells into the surrounding fluid domain. The production cost as well as the life cycle and maintenance costs of the stiffened shells are computed using the Parametric Review of Information for Costing and Evaluation (PRICE) model. A Pareto/min-max multicriteria optimization approach is then utilized to select the optimal dimensions and spacing of the stiffeners. Numerical examples are presented to compare the vibration and noise radiation characteristics of optimally designed stiffened shells with the corresponding characteristics of plain un-stiffened shells. The obtained results emphasis the importance of the adopted multicriteria optimization approach in the design of quiet, low weight and low cost underwater shells which are suitable for various critical applications. Received September 14, 2000 Communicated by J. Sobieski