This paper proposed a reliability design model for composite materials under the mixture of random and interval variables. Together with the inverse reliability analysis technique, the sequential single-loop optimization method is applied to the reliability-based design of composites. In the sequential single-loop optimization, the optimization and the reliability analysis are decoupled to improve the computational efficiency. As shown in examples, the minimum weight problems under the constraint of structural reliability are solved for laminated composites. The Particle Swarm Optimization （PSO） algorithm is utilized to search for the optimal solutions. The design results indicate that, under the mixture of random and interval variables, the method that combines the sequential single-loop optimization and the PSO algorithm can deal effectively with the reliability-based design of composites.
The present work aims to develop a method for reliability-based optimum design of composite structures. A procedure combining particle swarm optimization （PSO） and finite element analysis （FEA） has been proposed. Numerical examples for the reliability design optimization （RDO） of a laminate and a composite cylindrical shell are worked out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Then a design for composite pressure vessels is studied. The advantages and necessity of RDO over the conventional equi-strength design are addressed. Examples show that the proposed method has good stability and is efficient in dealing with the probabilistic optimal design of composite structures. It may serve as an effective tool to optimize other complicated structures with uncertainties.
