A Sequential Calibration and Validation Framework for Model Parameter Updating and Bias Correction

Abstract

Abstract Model parameter updating and bias correction plays an essential role in improving the validity of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) in engineering design and analysis. However, it is observed that the existing methods may either be misled by potentially wrong information if the computer model cannot adequately capture the underlying true physics, or be affected by the prior distributions of the unknown model parameters. In this paper, a sequential model calibration and validation (SeCAV) framework is proposed to improve the efficacy of both model parameter updating and model bias correction, where the model validation and Bayesian calibration are implemented in a sequential manner. In each iteration, the model validation assessment is employed as a filter to select the best experimental data for Bayesian calibration, and to update the prior distributions of uncertain model parameters for the next iteration. The calibrated parameters are then integrated with model bias correction to improve the prediction accuracy of the M&S. A mathematical example is employed to demonstrate the advantages of the SeCAV method.