HyperSizer sizes/optimizes each group independently. If the loads of two or more groups are interrelated, then the overall results are not necessarily going to be weight optimized. Looking at two groups that strain together axially, their loads are going to be proportional to their stiffness. For the same load, the group with less structural efficiency is going to be sized larger than the structurally efficient group. Upon re-running the model, the loads will be redistributed, with even more load going to the structurally inefficient group. The end result will be that the efficient group will be underutilized, resulting in a heavier weight.
Has any thought been given to doing some kind of variational analysis between groups to optimize on the whole system, not just the independent groups?
