Multi-Objective Design Optimization for an Integrated Tractor Trailer Vehicle 2011-01-0066

The need of upfront modeling, simulation and design optimization has been ever increasing during full vehicle product development process. The overall vehicle system and component subsystem performances remain critical considerations for making final product release decision. With these challenges in mind, the work of this paper discusses the development of feasible CAE methods, tools, and processes for multi-objective design optimization. A full integrated tractor trailer truck vehicle is used as an example to demonstrate this capability. The proposed approach allows several design objectives to be simultaneously optimized, which might otherwise be extremely difficult to achieve with experimental methods. Detailed optimization studies combining Design of Experiments (DOE), Response Surface Methodology (RSM) approach and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA II) optimization method are presented to further improve bumper design with better aerodynamics while maintaining or improving better cooling airflow performances.