%0 Journal Article %J Communications in Applied and Industrial Mathematics %D 2013 %T Free Form Deformation Techniques Applied to 3D Shape Optimization Problems %A Anwar Koshakji %A Alfio Quarteroni %A Gianluigi Rozza %X The purpose of this work is to analyse and study an efficient parametrization technique for a 3D shape optimization problem. After a brief review of the techniques and approaches already available in literature, we recall the Free Form Deformation parametrization, a technique which proved to be efficient and at the same time versatile, allowing to manage complex shapes even with few parameters. We tested and studied the FFD technique by establishing a path, from the geometry definition, to the method implementation, and finally to the simulation and to the optimization of the shape. In particular, we have studied a bulb and a rudder of a race sailing boat as model applications, where we have tested a complete procedure from Computer-Aided-Design to build the geometrical model to discretization and mesh generation. %B Communications in Applied and Industrial Mathematics %G eng %R 10.1685/journal.caim.452