Xuchun Ren

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering | Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA, UNITED STATES

Xuchun Ren is an expert in Structure Optimization, Design Under Certainty, and Computational Solid Mechanics.

Biography

Xuchun Ren is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Southern University. Ren has hands-on experience on Reliability-Based Design Optimization (RBDO), Robust Design Optimization (RDO), and reliability analysis of engineering structure and possesses a strong background on solid mechanics.

Areas of Expertise (5)

Vehicle Crash-Worthiness

Computational Solid Mechanics

Structure Optimization

Design Under Certainty

Uncertainty Quantification

Education (3)

University of Iowa: Ph.D.

Dalian University of Technology: B.S.

Tsinghua University: Ph.D.

Links (2)

Articles (5)

Stochastic Sensitivity Analysis for Robust Topology Optimization

World Congress of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimisation

Xuchun Ren, Xiaodong Zhang

2017 Topology optimization under uncertainty poses extreme difficulty to the already challenging topology optimization problem. This paper presents a new computational method for calculating topological sensitivities of statistical moments of high-dimensional complex systems subject to random inputs. The proposed method, capable of evaluating stochastic sensitivities for large-scale, robust topology optimization (RTO) problems, integrates a polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) of multivariate stochastic response functions and deterministic topology derivatives. In addition, the statistical moments and their topology sensitivities are both determined concurrently from a single stochastic analysis. When applied in collaboration with the gradient based optimization algorithm, the proposed method affords the ability of solving industrial-scale RTO design problems. Numerical examples indicate that the new method developed provides computationally efficient solutions.

Reliability-based design optimization by adaptive-sparse polynomial dimensional decomposition

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization

Xuchun Ren, Vaibhav Yadav, Sharif Rahman

2016 This paper puts forward two new methods for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) of complex engineering systems. The methods involve an adaptive-sparse polynomial dimensional decomposition (AS-PDD) of a high-dimensional stochastic response for reliability analysis, a novel integration of AS-PDD and score functions for calculating the sensitivities of the failure probability with respect to design variables, and standard gradient-based optimization algorithms, encompassing a multi-point, single-step design process. The two methods, depending on how the failure probability and its design sensitivities are evaluated, exploit two distinct combinations built on AS-PDD: the AS-PDD-SPA method, entailing the saddlepoint approximation (SPA) and score functions; and the AS-PDD-MCS method, utilizing the embedded Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) of the AS-PDD approximation and score functions. In both methods, the failure probability and its design sensitivities are determined concurrently from a single stochastic simulation or analysis. When applied in collaboration with the multi-point, single-step framework, the proposed methods afford the ability of solving industrial-scale design problems. Numerical results stemming from mathematical functions or elementary engineering problems indicate that the new methods provide more computationally efficient design solutions than existing methods. Furthermore, shape design of a 79-dimensional jet engine bracket was performed, demonstrating the power of the AS-PDD-MCS method developed to tackle practical RBDO problems.

High-Dimensional Stochastic Design Optimization by Adaptive-Sparse Polynomial Dimensional Decomposition

Sparse Grids and Applications-Stuttgart 2014

Sharif Rahman, Xuchun Ren, Vaibhav Yadav

2016 This paper presents a novel adaptive-sparse polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) method for stochastic design optimization of complex systems. The method entails an adaptive-sparse PDD approximation of a high-dimensional stochastic response for statistical moment and reliability analyses; a novel integration of the adaptive-sparse PDD approximation and score functions for estimating the first-order design sensitivities of the statistical moments and failure probability; and standard gradient-based optimization algorithms. New analytical formulae are presented for the design sensitivities that are simultaneously determined along with the moments or the failure probability. Numerical results stemming from mathematical functions indicate that the new method provides more computationally efficient design solutions than the existing methods. Finally, stochastic shape optimization of a jet engine bracket with 79 variables was performed, demonstrating the power of the new method to tackle practical engineering problems.

Novel computational methods for high‐dimensional stochastic sensitivity analysis

International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering

Sharif Rahman, Xuchun Ren

2014 This paper presents three new computational methods for calculating design sensitivities of statistical moments and reliability of high‐dimensional complex systems subject to random input. The first method represents a novel integration of the polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) of a multivariate stochastic response function and score functions. Applied to the statistical moments, the method provides mean‐square convergent analytical expressions of design sensitivities of the first two moments of a stochastic response. The second and third methods, relevant to probability distribution or reliability analysis, exploit two distinct combinations built on PDD: the PDD‐saddlepoint approximation (SPA) or PDD‐SPA method, entailing SPA and score functions; and the PDD‐Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) or PDD‐MCS method, utilizing the embedded MCS of the PDD approximation and score functions. For all three methods developed, the statistical moments or failure probabilities and their design sensitivities are both determined concurrently from a single stochastic analysis or simulation. Numerical examples, including a 100‐dimensional mathematical problem, indicate that the new methods developed provide not only theoretically convergent or accurate design sensitivities, but also computationally efficient solutions. A practical example involving robust design optimization of a three‐hole bracket illustrates the usefulness of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Robust design optimization by polynomial dimensional decomposition

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization

Xuchun Ren, Sharif Rahman

2013 This paper introduces four new methods for robust design optimization (RDO) of complex engineering systems. The methods involve polynomial dimensional decomposition (PDD) of a high-dimensional stochastic response for statistical moment analysis, a novel integration of PDD and score functions for calculating the second-moment sensitivities with respect to the design variables, and standard gradient-based optimization algorithms. New closed-form formulae are presented for the design sensitivities that are simultaneously determined along with the moments. The methods depend on how statistical moment and sensitivity analyses are dovetailed with an optimization algorithm, encompassing direct, single-step, sequential, and multi-point single-step design processes. Numerical results indicate that the proposed methods provide accurate and computationally efficient optimal solutions of RDO problems, including an industrial-scale lever arm design.