COSSAN Working Group
general purpose software for
- Uncertainty Quantification
- Optimization
- Meta-Modelling
- Sensitivity Analysis
- Stochastic Finite Elements
- Reliability Analysis
- Robust Design and Reliability Based Optimization
COSSAN-X is a general purpose software package for realistic simulations taking into account the unavoidable uncertainties associated with models, e.g. in geometry, material properties, loads, etc. Although deterministic codes are quite sophisticated in terms of geometrical and mechanical modelling capabilities, they usually neglect the important issue of inherent uncertainties. The consideration of these uncertainties/variability increases essentially the quality of the results of the analysis and design of structures and systems. For these reasons, it is crucial to link deterministic codes with the advanced tools of Uncertainty Quantification. By taking account of uncertainty/variability calculation results are more realistic. Without Uncertainty Quantification, only a single value of the results can be obtained, which does not reflect the actual possible range of the results due to uncertainties.
Interfaces
COSSAN-X provides a powerful and intuitive user-friendly interface to perform various analyses without excessive training. It is designed to provide guidance to its users at every step of the analysis. Additionally, a very powerful editor is provided, which makes the manipulation of the input/output files for 3rd party software an easy task. For more advanced users, all the features of the software can be accessed as an Object-Oriented toolbox inside Matlab®.
Applications
COSSAN-X can be used to treat a wide range of practical engineering problems. Furthermore, it offers the possibility to customise the available predefined solution sequences in order to solve advanced engineering problems, to allow end users to create tailored solutions for solving their specific problems.
COSSAN-X provides an efficient platform for the realistic consideration of uncertainties/variability in engineering analysis. Furthermore, the combination of the algorithms offered from the COSSAN package with user-defined analysis provides the flexibility to solve engineering practical tasks. The performance of the algorithms enables the analysis of large structures and systems from the daily engineering practice.
Features
- All-in-one package for real-life engineering and scientific problems
- Add Uncertainty Quantification to your existing models
- Robust Design
- Powerful input/output editor for linking COSSAN-X to 3rd party software (e.g. Nastran, Abaqus, FEAP, Ansys, FLUENT, OpenFOAM, Matlab)
- A wide spectrum of the most robust and efficient algorithms
- Support for cluster and grid computing to reduce the computational costs of the analysis.
- Powerful and intuitive user-friendly interface (state-of-the- art visualization capabilities for input and output).
Selected References
(including preceding publications on COSSAN from Professor Gerhart I. Schuëller’s institute)
- Angelis, M. D., & Patelli, E. (2016): Dealing with uncertainties and imprecision: the COSSAN project, Dealing with uncertainties and imprecision: the COSSAN project, NAFEMS UK Conference
- Patelli, E.; Broggi, M.; De Angelis, M.; Beer, M. (2014): OpenCossan: An efficient open tool for dealing with epistemic and aleatory uncertainties, In: Beer, M.; Au, S.K.; Hall, J.W. (eds.), Vulnerability, Uncertainty and Risk – Quantification, Mitigation and Management, Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Vulnerability and Risk Analysis and Management (ICVRAM) and the Sixth International Symposium on Uncertainty, Modeling and Analysis (ISUMA), ASCE Council on Disaster Risk Management, Monograph No 9, CD-ROM, 2564–2573
- Patelli, E., & Broggi, M. (2013): On general purpose software for the efficient uncertainty management of large Finite Element models, NAFEMS World Congress, Salzburg, Austria
- Patelli, E., Murat Panayirci, H., Broggi, M., Goller, B., Beaurepaire, P., Pradlwarter, H. J., & Schuëller, G. I. (2012): General purpose software for efficient uncertainty management of large finite element models, Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, 51, 31–48
- Patelli, E., & Broggi, M. (2012): OpenCossan: General purpose software for uncertainty quantification and management, Software / Code, free access, Liverpool
- Patelli, E.; Schuëller, G. I.; Pradlwarter, H. J.; Valdebenito, M. A.; Panayirci, H. M.; Goller, B.; Broggi, M.; Beaurepaire, P. (2010): COSSAN-X: A general purpose code for computational stochastic structural analysis, IV European Conference on Computational Mechanics, Paris, France, EU, Paris.
- Patelli, E. (2009): System Reliability Analysis: Integration Of The Fault Tree Analysis In Cossan-X, Report, Institute of Engineering Mechanics, University of Innsbruck, Austria, EU
