Accelerated Gradient-based Design Optimization Via Differentiable Physics-Informed Neural Operator: A Composites Autoclave Processing Case Study

Simulation and optimization are crucial for advancing the engineering design of complex systems and processes. Traditional optimization methods require substantial computational time and effort due to their reliance on resource-intensive simulations, such as finite element analysis, and the complexity of rigorous optimization algorithms. Data-agnostic AI-based surrogate models, such as Physics-Informed Neural Operators (PINOs), offer a promising alternative to these conventional simulations, providing drastically reduced inference time, unparalleled data efficiency, and zero-shot super-resolution capability. However, the predictive accuracy of these models is often constrained to small, low-dimensional design spaces or systems with relatively simple dynamics. To address this, we introduce a novel Physics-Informed DeepONet (PIDON) architecture, which extends the capabilities of conventional neural operators to effectively model the nonlinear behavior of complex engineering systems across high-dimensional design spaces and a wide range of dynamic design configurations. This new architecture outperforms existing SOTA models, enabling better predictions across broader design spaces. Leveraging PIDON's differentiability, we integrate a gradient-based optimization approach using the Adam optimizer to efficiently determine optimal design variables. This forms an end-to-end gradient-based optimization framework that accelerates the design process while enhancing scalability and efficiency. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework in the optimization of aerospace-grade composites curing processes achieving a 3x speedup in obtaining optimal design variables compared to gradient-free methods. Beyond composites processing, the proposed model has the potential to be used as a scalable and efficient optimization tool for broader applications in advanced engineering and digital twin systems.

FB-HyDON: Parameter-Efficient Physics-Informed Operator Learning of Complex PDEs via Hypernetwork and Finite Basis Domain Decomposition

Deep operator networks (DeepONet) and neural operators have gained significant attention for their ability to map infinite-dimensional function spaces and perform zero-shot super-resolution. However, these models often require large datasets for effective training. While physics-informed operators offer a data-agnostic learning approach, they introduce additional training complexities and convergence issues, especially in highly nonlinear systems. To overcome these challenges, we introduce Finite Basis Physics-Informed HyperDeepONet (FB-HyDON), an advanced operator architecture featuring intrinsic domain decomposition. By leveraging hypernetworks and finite basis functions, FB-HyDON effectively mitigates the training limitations associated with existing physics-informed operator learning methods. We validated our approach on the high-frequency harmonic oscillator, Burgers' equation at different viscosity levels, and Allen-Cahn equation demonstrating substantial improvements over other operator learning models.

An Advanced Physics-Informed Neural Operator for Comprehensive Design Optimization of Highly-Nonlinear Systems: An Aerospace Composites Processing Case Study

Deep Operator Networks (DeepONets) and their physics-informed variants have shown significant promise in learning mappings between function spaces of partial differential equations, enhancing the generalization of traditional neural networks. However, for highly nonlinear real-world applications like aerospace composites processing, existing models often fail to capture underlying solutions accurately and are typically limited to single input functions, constraining rapid process design development. This paper introduces an advanced physics-informed DeepONet tailored for such complex systems with multiple input functions. Equipped with architectural enhancements like nonlinear decoders and effective training strategies such as curriculum learning and domain decomposition, the proposed model handles high-dimensional design spaces with significantly improved accuracy, outperforming the vanilla physics-informed DeepONet by two orders of magnitude. Its zero-shot prediction capability across a broad design space makes it a powerful tool for accelerating composites process design and optimization, with potential applications in other engineering fields characterized by strong nonlinearity.