Overview of Structural Dynamics Model Validation Activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Abstract

This presentation will provide a summary of the research and applications of structural dynamics model validation at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In this context model validation refers to the assessment of confidence in the usefulness of computational structural dynamics predictions for a particular application. The presentation will cover the problem definition, objectives, and motivation for studying model validation. Current paradigms for the model validation problem will also be presented. Supporting technologies such as uncertainty quantification, global sensitivity analysis, metamodeling, parameter updating, and design of experiments will be discussed, along with their role in the model validation process. The usefulness of model validation results for the computational modeling of system-level structural dynamics will be demonstrated. Examples of model validation techniques applied to transient structural dynamics problems of interest will be shown.