Overview

COSSAN is a general purpose software package for uncertainty quantification and management, sensitivity optimization and reliability analysis.

COSSAN-X, which is the latest version of COSSAN, provides in this regard an efficient approach to integrate third-party (deterministic) software (e.g. Finite Element solvers), efficient numeric algorithms (e.g. Line Sampling) and High Performance Computing. Although nowadays FE codes are quite sophisticated in terms of geometrical and mechanical modelling capabilities, they usually neglect the important issue of inherent uncertainties. Stochastic methods, on the other hand, offer a much more realistic approach for the analysis and design of structural systems. For these reasons, it is crucial to link deterministic FE codes with the advanced tools of stochastic analysis.

The software offers the most advanced and recent algorithms for the rational quantification and propagation of uncertainties. Furthermore, since stochastic methods are in general computationally demanding, the resort of high performance computing is required in order to reduce the execution time (wall clock time) of the analysis. In this regard, the implementations available in COSSAN-X are coupled with the parallel computing features in order to be able to analyse realistic problems within feasible computational times. As a result, COSSAN-X has evolved as the all-in-one package software for the practitioners to perform Uncertainty Quantification (UQ), Simulation-based Reliability Analysis, Sensitivity Analysis, Meta-Modelling, Stochastic Finite Elements Analysis (SFEM), and Reliability-Based Optimization (RBO) .

Overview of the features of COSSAN-X

  • All-in-one package for your real-life engineering problems covering a wide range from uncertainty management to reliability assessment, from optimizing designs to sensitivity analysis, model validation and much more
  • Easy modeling of uncertainties using 16 continous and 6 discrete distribution types, as well as user defined distributions, possibility to define stochastic processes
  • A wide list of the most robust and efficient algorithms implemented within each toolbox
  • User-friendly and interactive GUI with the fault tree view over each step of the analysis, providing instant feedback to the users with pop-up messages and help icons
  • State-of-the-art visualization capabilities for the input and output, lively updated PDF/CDF plots, pie/bar charts, parallel coordinate views, histograms, etc., enabling a comfortable framework to interpret the results
  • Job Manager interface facilitated with the most recent parallel computing algorithms, distributing the workload on heterogeneous grids

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