Multi-fidelity response surfaces for uncertainty quantification in beams using coarse and fine finite element discretizations

Abstract

This paper discusses a benchmark problem to understand the response surface based multi-fidelity model and uncertainty quantification in the context of beam vibrations. A multi-fidelity model for the beam is constructed by blending a low-fidelity finite element model (coarse discretization) and a high-fidelity finite element model (fine discretization). The natural frequencies of the beam are the desired responses. A second-order correction response surface constructed based on high and low-fidelity simulations, is used to correct the low-fidelity response surface model. It is shown that the multi-fidelity model is accurate and ranks much better than the high-fidelity model in terms of computational effort.