Hi

You can always go about it like this

There is freeware to help you do this. It is not Matlab based

http://openmdao.org/

Here are some examples of what you can do using the above type of loop

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256799784_Multi-disciplinary_optimization_of_railway_wheels

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285766203_Panel_embossing_pattern_optimization_method?ev=prf_pub

Ramblings of mine on the subject are found here

http://qringtech.com/learnmore/why-simulate-measure-correlate-automate/

Sincerely

Claes

Article Multi-disciplinary optimization of railway wheels

Presentation Panel embossing pattern optimization method

In general I agree with the answer of Claes Richard. This is the right procedure.

What you always need is a communication channel between the analysis solver (FEA) and the optimizer (Matlab). Because the output of FEA (stresses, displacements, etc) is the input for the optimizer and the output of the optimizer (new design variables) is the input for FEA and this goes on in cycles until convergence. This communication can be done either through memory (when you write code for both FEA and optimization), DLL communication or (the most simple solution) text files.

Given that Matlab can read/write to text files without any problem, you need a FEA analysis tool that can be called as exe from Matlab with the right arguments (analysis options, location of input file, etc), can read its input text file (prepared from matlab optimizer), analyze the model and produce an output text file (to be read by matlab optimizer for optimization constraint checking).

Any built-in matlab optimizer can be used (GA, SQP, etc) with any such analysis tool. It is rather easy to do the coupling yourself and this coupling can provide very impressive results!

The two above answers are correct. The general concept is to:

1) Create the input files to be run by the fea software by MATLAB

2) run the fea software by executing appropriate MATLAB commands (search for the ! sign at the beginning of a line)

3) Write the results produced by the fea software in text files, which are read back by MATLAB

I do not know what is the fea software you want to couple with MATLAB, but I have successfully ran many optimization problems by coupling MATLAB with ABAQUS software. Details about the implementation can be found in the following links in which I have posted in the Yahoo Groups Abaqus forum:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Abaqus/conversations/messages/31531

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Abaqus/conversations/messages/31460

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Abaqus/conversations/messages/28807

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Abaqus/conversations/messages/28804

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Abaqus/conversations/messages/28550

I hope this helps.

Dear All

Any FE software worth its salt accepts a syntax input, i.e. can be driven using ASCII input.

There is a Matlab toolbox called SUMO available as an alternative to openMDAO.

http://www.sumo.intec.ugent.be/SUMO

I have used any of these, so if you give them a try, feel free to drop me a mail and tell me your experiences.

For what it is worth, my experience from consulting projects are

• Automation is a big thing for the simple reason that it forces you to come up with a method, i.e. it forces you to cast your problem in terms of inpuy-execution-output relations.
• At first, one might think that large FE data output is required when the opposite usually lies closer to the prbolem's essence. Most FE software can output things like, maximum stress, force, motion as well as weight, CoG, etc. If you are delaing with vibration, RMS values go a long way as these capture response at all frequencies.  
• Once you have. your outputs, you next have to decide how to execute. This is where a single method never is best
• Some problem types are best handled with gradient solvers, others work fine using Design of Experiments theory and Response Surface/Surrogate Models while others get nowhere until you unleash something like Genetic Algorthms. The system you work with should therefore be able to run all these methods.
• OK, once you start executing - prepare to start all over again as you will soon find that any decent optmizer will find the loopholes in your input-output model.
• Once you have executed and gind the optmimum, it usually is not really what you want as it does not cover some aspect that is not handled in your model at all, e.g. price or something aestethic.
• So, it usually is best to throw in as many outouts as practicable, run some simple calculations on the side to get ballpark estimates on, say, price, i.e. to make the optimization run multidisciplinary.

Once the above is covered, your model must be viable. i.e. it must produce results that mimic realiality reasonably well and you must be able to produce the item. Some ramblings on this here

http://qringtech.com/workflow-automation-exploration/

and some tidbits from past work here

http://qringtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AnalysisTechnology.pdf

Sincerely

Claes

Hi

Perhaps I should add that this small gem, MacroMaker, allows automation also for situations where the software is push-button-only (100% GUI) & you want to incorporate into an automated worflow.

http://members.ij.net/anthonymathews/MacroMaker.htm

Have fun

Claes

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions. 

Dear Sree,

If you want to interface Abaqus as FEA program with Matlab to perform an optimization analysis, you can see the following publications:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290937603_Matlab_Abaqus_10_Bar_Truss_-_Program_for_the_solution_of_the_10-bar_truss_problem_using_linking_between_Abaqus_and_Matlab

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291336207_Matlab_Abaqus_25_Bar_Truss_-_Program_for_the_solution_of_the_25-bar_truss_problem_using_linking_between_Abaqus_and_Matlab

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290440223_Abaqus2Matlab_-_Program_for_the_extraction_of_Abaqus_analysis_results_to_Matlab

They are some codes which show how the coupling between Abaqus and Matlab is done. You can send me a p.m. for more details if you want.

I hope this helps,

George

Code Matlab_Abaqus_10_Bar_Truss - Program for the solution of the...

Code Matlab_Abaqus_25_Bar_Truss - Program for the solution of the...

Thanks George