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The Energy Finite Element Analysis (EFEA) has been developed for evaluating the vibro-acoustic behavior of complex systems. In the past EFEA results have been compared successfully to measured data for Naval, automotive, and aircraft systems. The main objective of this paper is to present information about the process of developing EFEA models for two configurations of a business jet, performing analysis for computing the vibration and the interior noise induced from exterior turbulent boundary layer excitation, and discussing the correlation between test data and simulation results. The structural EFEA model is generated from an existing finite element model used for stress analysis during the aircraft design process. Structural elements used in the finite element model for representing the complete complex aircraft structure become part of the EFEA structural model.

A multi-disciplinary optimization analysis is a highly iterative process that requires a large number of function evaluations for computing the objective functions and the constraints. Metamodels (i.e. response surface methodologies) can be constructed before starting the optimization for each one of the objective functions and the constraint functions. The metamodels can be employed in the multi-discipline optimization instead of high fidelity simulations resulting in significant computational savings. A multi-discipline design optimization of an aircraft wing under aerodynamic and structural analysis considerations is performed in this manner. Design variables associated with the shape of the wing are considered in the CFD simulations, while sizing structural design variables are considered in the structural discipline. At the top system level, a cost type metric is defined for driving the overall design optimization process.

Vehicle design is a complex process requiring interactions and exchange of information among multiple disciplines such as fatigue, strength, noise, safety, etc. Simulation models are employed for assessing and potentially improving a vehicle's performance in individual technical areas. Challenges arise when designing a vehicle for improving mutually competing objectives, satisfying constraints from multiple engineering disciplines, and determining a single set of values for the vehicle's characteristics. It is of interest to engage simulation models from the various engineering disciplines in an organized and coordinated manner for determining a design configuration that provides the best possible performance in all disciplines. The multi-discipline design process becomes streamlined when the simulation methods integrate well with finite element or computer aided design models.