Reducing sensitivity analysis time-cost of compound model

This paper deals with the sensitivity analysis of compound models in the case of gradient based optimization. Multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) may use time-consuming analysis such as the finite-element method (FEM) resolution, their sensitivity analysis must then be managed efficiently in order to limit their evaluations. A composition model implementation based on differential propagation mechanism has been used. Different solutions of sensitivity analysis based on forward finite difference are proposed at the level of each inner model. These solutions have been implemented for the design of a transformer, using mixed modeling (FEM + analytic). It has led to a reduction by a factor of two then three of an optimization iteration time cost.