OpenMDAO is an open source framework written in Python to faciliate the coupling of multiple models to perform multidisciplinary analysis and design optimization. One of the unique features of OpenMDAO is the use of derivatives to accelerate the solution of the coupled system and to provide gradients for gradient-based optimization algorithms. As a result, OpenMDAO can solver problems with tens of thousands of variables and a similar number of constraints.
The development of OpenMDAO started in 2008, when developers at NASA identified the need for a new design optimization framework to address complex aircraft design optimization problems. More recently, OpenMDAO was re-written to use the modular analsysis and unified derivatives (MAUD) architecture, enabling the efficient computation of coupled derivatives. Follow the links to the websites and papers below for more details.
Aircraft Ducted Heat Exchanger Aerodynamic Shape and Thermal Optimization
E. J. Adler, A. H. R. Lamkin, and J. R. R. A. Martins
ASME Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 147(1):011902, 2025
Robust Schur-Complement Solvers and Large-Scale Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
M. A. S. Abdul-Kaiyoom, A. Yildirim, , and R. R. A. M. Joaquim
34th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, 2024
Coupled Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of an Over-Wing Nacelle Configuration
M. A. S. Abdul-Kaiyoom, A. Yildirim, , and R. R. A. M. Joaquim
Journal of Aircraft, 2024
Blended wing body configuration for hydrogen-powered aviation
E. J. Adler, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Journal of Aircraft, 61(3), 2024
A Proposed Benchmark Model for Practical Aerostructural Optimization of Aircraft Wings
A. C. Gray, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA SciTech Forum, 2024
Rapid Aerostructural Optimization of Wing-Propeller Systems
J. Exalto, B. Pacini, S. Kaneko, J. R. R. A. Martins, and M. Hoogreef
AIAA SciTech Forum, 2024
Aerodynamic shape optimization of filleted intersections with surface mesh deformation
H. M. Hajdik, A. Yildirim, and J. R. R. A. Martins
34th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, 2024
MDO Formulations for Simultaneous Design and Trajectory Optimization
S. Kaneko, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA SciTech Forum, 2024
Simultaneous optimization of design and takeoff trajectory for an eVTOL aircraft
S. Kaneko, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Aerospace Science and Technology, 155109617, 2024
Coupled Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of an Over-Wing Nacelle Configuration
M. A. S. Abdul-Kaiyoom, A. Yildirim, , and R. R. A. M. Joaquim
AIAA SciTech Forum, 2023
RANS-Based Multipoint Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of an Over-Wing Nacelle Configuration
M. A. S. Abdul-Kaiyoom, A. Yildirim, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2023
Blended wing body configuration for hydrogen-powered aviation
E. J. Adler, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation 2023 Forum, 2023
Efficient Aerostructural Wing Optimization Considering Mission Analysis
E. J. Adler, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Journal of Aircraft, 60(3), 2023
Geometrically Nonlinear High-fidelity Aerostructural Optimization Including Geometric Design Variables
A. C. Gray, G. J. Kennedy, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2023
Comparing Hydrogen and Jet-A for an N+3 Turbofan with Water Recirculation using Gradient-Based Optimizaiton
P. N. Atma, A. H. R. Lamkin, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2023
Advancing Modularity and Framework Integration Level for Scalable High-Fidelity MDO
T. Backhaus, M. A. S. Abdul-Kaiyoom, A. Yildirim, A. Stueck, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA AVIATION Forum, 2023
Combined systems packaging and aerodynamic shape optimization of a full aircraft configuration
H. M. Hajdik, B. Pacini, A. Yildirim, B. J. Brelje, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2023
Simultaneous Optimization of Conceptual Design and Takeoff Trajectory of a Lift-Plus-Cruise UAV
S. Kaneko, and J. R. R. A. Martins
10th Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting, 2023
Advancements in Coupled Aeropropulsive Design Optimization for High-Bypass Turbofan Engines
A. H. R. Lamkin, A. Yildirim, J. R. R. A. Martins, and N. A. Wukie
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2023
Minimum Trim Drag for a Three-Surface Supersonic Transport Aircraft
S. Seraj, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2023
Aerostructural wing design optimization considering full mission analysis
E. J. Adler, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA SciTech Forum, 2022
Thermal Management System Optimization for a Parallel Hybrid Aircraft Considering Mission Fuel Burn
E. J. Adler, B. J. Brelje, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Aerospace, 9(5), 2022
Automated Hybrid Propulsion Model Construction for Conceptual Aircraft Design and Optimization
M. Fouda, E. J. Adler, J. H. Bussemaker, J. R. R. A. Martins, D. F. Kurtulus, L. Boggero, and B. Nagel
33rd Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, 2022
Fleet Design Optimization of Package Delivery UAVs Considering Operations
S. Kaneko, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA SciTech Forum, 2022
Boundary Layer Ingestion Benefit for the STARC-ABL Concept
A. Yildirim, J. S. Gray, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Journal of Aircraft, 59(4):896–911, 2022
A Nonlinear Schur Complement Solver for CFD-Based Multidisciplinary Models
A. Yildirim, J. S. Gray, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Eleventh International Conference on Computational Fluid Dynamics, 2022
Performance Analysis of Optimized STARC-ABL Designs Across the Entire Mission Profile
A. Yildirim, J. S. Gray, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Proceedings of the AIAA SciTech Forum, 2021
Coupled Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Podded Electric Propulsor
A. Yildirim, J. S. Gray, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2021
Large-Scale Path-Dependent Optimization of Supersonic Aircraft
J. Jasa, B. Brelje, J. Gray, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Aerospace, 7(152), 2020
Development of a Conceptual-Level Thermal Management System Design Capability in OpenConcept
B. J. Brelje, J. P. Jasa, J. R. R. A. Martins, and J. S. Gray
NATO Research Symposium on Hybrid/Electric Aero-Propulsion Systems for Military Applications (AVT-RSY-323), 2019
OpenMDAO: An open-source framework for multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization
J. S. Gray, J. T. Hwang, J. R. R. A. Martins, K. T. Moore, and B. A. Naylor
Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 59(4):1075–1104, 2019
High-fidelity design-allocation optimization of a commercial aircraft maximizing airline profit
J. T. Hwang, J. Jasa, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Journal of Aircraft, 56(3):1165–1178, 2019
Coupled Design of a Supersonic Engine and Thermal System
J. P. Jasa, B. J. Brelje, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
World Congress of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2019
How Certain Physical Considerations Impact Aerostructural Wing Optimization
J. P. Jasa, S. S. Chauhan, J. S. Gray, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2019
Multipoint Variable Cycle Engine Design Using Gradient-based Optimization
J. P. Jasa, J. S. Gray, J. A. Seidel, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech Forum, 2019, 2019
Aeropropulsive Design Optimization of a Boundary Layer Ingestion System
A. Yildirim, J. S. Gray, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA Aviation Forum, 2019
Development of a Conceptual Design Model for Aircraft Electric Propulsion with Efficient Gradients
B. J. Brelje, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Proceedings of the AIAA/IEEE Electric Aircraft Technologies Symposium, 2018
Multifidelity Optimization Under Uncertainty for a Tailless Aircraft
A. Chaudhuri, J. Jasa, J. R. R. A. Martins, and K. Willcox
2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference; AIAA SciTech Forum, 2018
Low-Fidelity Aerostructural Optimization of Aircraft Wings with a Simplified Wingbox Model Using OpenAeroStruct
S. S. Chauhan, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Engineering Optimization, EngOpt 2018, 418-431, 2018
A computational architecture for coupling heterogeneous numerical models and computing coupled derivatives
J. T. Hwang, and J. R. R. A. Martins
ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, 44(4):Article 37, 2018
Open-source coupled aerostructural optimization using Python
J. P. Jasa, J. T. Hwang, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 57(4):1815–1827, 2018
Design and Trajectory Optimization of a Morphing Wing Aircraft
J. P. Jasa, J. T. Hwang, and J. R. R. A. Martins
2018 AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference; AIAA SciTech Forum, 2018
Trajectory Optimization of a Supersonic Air Vehicle with Thermal Fuel Management System
J. P. Jasa, C. A. Mader, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA/ISSMO Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference, 2018
Next generation aircraft design considering airline operations and economics
S. Roy, W. A. Crossley, K. T. Moore, J. S. Gray, and J. R. R. A. Martins
AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2018
Large-Scale Multidisciplinary Optimization of a Small Satellite’s Design and Operation
J. T. Hwang, D. Y. Lee, J. W. Cutler, and J. R. R. A. Martins
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 51(5):1648–1663, 2014
Review and Unification of Methods for Computing Derivatives of Multidisciplinary Computational Models
J. R. R. A. Martins, and J. T. Hwang
AIAA Journal, 51(11):2582–2599, 2013