Dimensionality reduction-based extremum surrogate modeling strategy for transient reliability analysis of complex structures

•Dimensionality reduction (DR)-based extremum surrogate modeling strategy (DRESMS) is developed by absorbing the strengths of DR strategy and extremum response surface method (ERSM).•The DR is applied to find the embedding mapping the input data to high-dimensional space which has the potential to improve the transient reliability model.•Gain reliability level 0.9939 for turbine blisk.•Provide a useful insight in monitoring and maintaining complex structures and mechanical systems with the consideration of large-scale parameters. To improve the transient reliability analysis of complex structures, dimensionality reduction (DR)-based extremum surrogate modeling strategy (DRESMS) is developed by absorbing the strengths of DR strategy and extremum response surface method (ERSM). In the proposed method, the DR is applied to find the embedding mapping the input data to high-dimensional space which has the potential to improve the transient reliability model, and the ERSM is used to build the regression relationship between input parameters and output response to establish a reliable surrogate model based on capturing dynamic extreme moments. The transient reliability analysis of turbine blisk is performed to verify the approximate accuracy and simulation performance of the proposed DRESMS with the assist of the comparison of methods. As seen in this study, (i) the reliability degree of turbine blisk fatigue life is 0.9939 when the allowable value of fatigue life is 1.7738×103 cycles (subject to 3 sigma levels), and (ii) the developed DRESMS holds advantages of high-modeling efficiency and low-fitting error, and (iii) the DRESMS holds excellent simulation efficiency and simulation precision. The efforts of this study provide the promising DRESMS to solve the transient probabilistic analysis of complex structures with multi-dimensional input parameters, which is significant in monitoring and maintaining complex structures and mechanical systems with the consideration of large-scale parameters.