THE TOPOLOGICAL OPTIMIZATION FOR TRUSS STRUCTURES WITH STRESS CONSTRAINTS BASED ON THE EXIST-NULL COMBINED MODEL

A new exist-null combined model is proposed for the structural topology optimization. The model is applied to the topology optimization of the truss with stress constraints. Satisfactory computational result can be obtained with more rapid and more stable convergence as compared with the cross-sectional optimization. This work also shows that the presence of independent and continuous topological variable motivates the research of structural topology optimization.

Concurrent multi-scale design optimization of composite frame structures using the Heaviside penalization of discrete material model

This paper deals with the concurrent multi-scale optimization design of frame structure composed of glass or carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates. In the composite frame structure, the fiber winding angle at the micro-material scale and the geometrical parameter of components of the frame in the macro-structural scale are introduced as the independent variables on the two geometrical scales. Considering manufacturing requirements, discrete fiber winding angles are specified for the micro design variable. The improved Heaviside penalization discrete material optimization interpolation scheme has been applied to achieve the discrete optimization design of the fiber winding angle. An optimization model based on the minimum structural compliance and the specified fiber material volume constraint has been established. The sensitivity information about the two geometrical scales design variables are also deduced considering the characteristics of discrete fiber winding angles. The optimization results of the fiber winding angle or the macro structural topology on the two single geometrical scales, together with the concurrent two-scale optimization, is separately studied and compared in the paper. Numerical examples in the paper show that the concurrent multi-scale optimization can further explore the coupling effect between the macro-structure and micro-material of the composite to achieve an ultralight design of the composite frame structure. The novel two geometrical scales optimization model provides a new opportunity for the design of composite structure in aerospace and other industries.

A NEW METHOD FOR STRUCTURAL TOPOLOGICAL OPTIMIZATION BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF INDEPENDENT CONTINUOUS VARIABLES AND SMOOTH MODEL

A concept of the independent-continuous topological variable is proposed to establish its corresponding smooth model of structural topological optimization. The method can overcome difficulties that are encountered in conventional models and algorithms for the optimization of the structural topology. Its application to truss topological optimization with stress and displacement constraints is satisfactory, with convergence faster than that of sectional optimizations.

A Simple and Efficient Structural Topology Optimization Implementation Using Open-Source Software for All Steps of the Algorithm:Modeling, Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization

This work analyzes the implementation of a continuous method of structural topology optimization(STO)using open-source software for all stages of the topology optimization problem:modeling,sensitivity analysis and optimization.Its implementation involves three main components:numerical analysis using the Finite Element Method(FEM),sensitivity analysis using an Adjoint method and an optimization solver.In order to allow the automated numerical solution of Partial Differential Equations(PDEs)and perform a sensitivity analysis,FEniCS and Dolfin Adjoint software are used as tools,which are open-source code.For the optimization process,Ipopt(Interior Point OPTimizer)is used,which is a software package for nonlinear optimization scale designed to find(local)solutions of mathematical optimization problems.The topological optimization method used is based on the SIMP-Solid IsotropicMaterial with Penalization interpolation.The considered problem is the minimization of compliance/maximization of stiffness,considering the examples of recurrent structures in the literature in 2D and 3D.A density filtering algorithm based on Helmholtz formulation is used.The complete code involves 51 lines of programming and is presented and commented in detail in this article.

Different effects of economic and structural performance indexes on model construction of structural topology optimization

The objective and constraint functions related to structural optimization designs are classified into economic and performance indexes in this paper.The influences of their different roles in model construction of structural topology optimization are also discussed.Furthermore,two structural topology optimization models,optimizing a performance index under the limitation of an economic index,represented by the minimum compliance with a volume constraint（MCVC）model,and optimizing an economic index under the limitation of a performance index,represented by the minimum weight with a displacement constraint（MWDC）model,are presented.Based on a comparison of numerical example results,the conclusions can be summarized as follows：（1）under the same external loading and displacement performance conditions,the results of the MWDC model are almost equal to those of the MCVC model;（2）the MWDC model overcomes the difficulties and shortcomings of the MCVC model;this makes the MWDC model more feasible in model construction;（3）constructing a model of minimizing an economic index under the limitations of performance indexes is better at meeting the needs of practical engineering problems and completely satisfies safety and economic requirements in mechanical engineering,which have remained unchanged since the early days of mechanical engineering.

The ICM method with objective function transformed by variable discrete condition for continuum structure

ICM （Independent Continuous Mapping） method can solve topological optimization problems with the minimized weight as the objective and subjected to displacement constraints. To get a clearer topological configuration, by introducing the discrete condition of topological variables and integrating with the original objective, an optimal model with multi-objectives is formulated to make the topological variables approach 0 or 1 as near as possible, and the model reduces the effect of deleting rate on the result. The image-filtering method is employed to eliminate the checkerboard patterns and mesh dependence that occurred in the topology optimization of a continuum structure. The computational efficiency is enhanced through selecting quasi-active displacement constraints and a design region. Numerical examples indicate that this algorithm is robust and practicable, though the number of iterations is slightly increased with respect to the original algorithm.

Structural Topology Optimization by Combining BESO with Reinforcement Learning

In this paper,a new algorithm combining the features of bi-direction evolutionary structural optimization(BESO)and reinforcement learning(RL)is proposed for continuum structural topology optimization(STO).In contrast to conventional approaches which only generate a certain quasi-optimal solution,the goal of the combined method is to provide more quasi-optimal solutions for designers such as the idea of generative design.Two key components were adopted.First,besides sensitivity,value function updated by Monte-Carlo reinforcement learning was utilized to measure the importance of each element,which made the solving process convergent and closer to the optimum.Second,ε-greedy policy added a random perturbation to the main search direction so as to extend the search ability.Finally,the quality and diversity of solutions could be guaranteed by controlling the value of compliance as well as Intersection-over-Union(IoU).Results of several 2D and 3D compliance minimization problems,including a geometrically nonlinear case,show that the combined method is capable of generating a group of good and different solutions that satisfy various possible requirements in engineering design within acceptable computation cost.

Topology optimization of support structure of telescope skin based on bit-matrix representation NSGA-II

Non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II（NSGA-II）with multiple constraints handling is employed for multi-objective optimization of the topological structure of telescope skin,in which a bit-matrix is used as the representation of a chromosome,and genetic algorithm（GA）operators are introduced based on the matrix.Objectives including mass,in-plane performance,and out-of-plane load-bearing ability of the individuals are obtained by fnite element analysis（FEA）using ANSYS,and the matrix-based optimization algorithm is realized in MATLAB by handling multiple constraints such as structural connectivity and in-plane strain requirements.Feasible confgurations of the support structure are achieved.The results confrm that the matrix-based NSGA-II with multiple constraints handling provides an effective method for two-dimensional multi-objective topology optimization.

Lightweight topology optimization of graded lattice structures with displacement constraints based on an independent continuous mapping method

This paper presents a novel topology optimization method to design graded lattice structures to minimize the volume subject to displacement constraints based on the independent continuous mapping(ICM)method.First,the effective elastic properties of graded unit cells are analyzed by the strain energy-based homogenization method.A surrogate model using quartic polynomial interpolation is built to map the independent continuous topological variable to the effective elastic matrix of the unit cell and set up the relationship between the macroscale structure and microscale unit cells.Second,a lightweight topology optimization model is established,which can be transformed into an explicitly standard quadratic programming problem by sensitivity analysis and solved by dual sequential quadratic programming.Third,several numerical examples demonstrate that graded lattice structures have a better lightweight effect than uniform lattice structures,which validates the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.The results show that graded lattice structures become lighter with increasing displacement constraints.In addition,some diverse topological configurations are obtained.This method provides a reference for the graded lattice structure design and expands the application of the ICM method.

New method for controlling minimum length scales of real and void phase materials in topology optimization

Minimum length scale control on real and void material phases in topology optimization is an important topic of research with direct implications on numerical stability and solution manufacturability.And it also is a challenge area of research due to serious conflicts of both the solid and the void phase element densities in phase mixing domains of the topologies obtained by existing methods.Moreover,there is few work dealing with controlling distinct minimum feature length scales of real and void phase materials used in topology designs.A new method for solving the minimum length scale controlling problem of real and void material phases,is proposed.Firstly,we introduce two sets of coordinating design variable filters for these two material phases,and two distinct smooth Heaviside projection functions to destroy the serious conflicts in the existing methods(e.g.Guest Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 199(14):123-135,2009).Then,by introducing an adaptive weighted 2-norm aggregation constraint function,we construct a coordinating topology optimization model to ensure distinct minimum length scale controls of real and void phase materials for the minimum compliance problem.By adopting a varied volume constraint limit scheme,this coordinating topology optimization model is transferred into a series of coordinating topology optimization sub-models so that the structural topology configuration can stably and smoothly changes during an optimization process.The structural topology optimization sub-models are solved by the method of moving asymptotes(MMA).Then,the proposed method is extended to the compliant mechanism design problem.Numerical examples are given to demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and can obtain a good 0/1 distribution final topology.

Stiffeners layout design of thin-walled structures with constraints on multi-fastener joint loads

The purpose of this paper is to present an extended topology optimization method for the stiffeners layout design of aircraft assembled structures. Multi-fastener joint loads and manufacturing constraints are considered simultaneously. On one hand, the joint loads are calculated and constrained within a limited value to avoid the failure of fasteners. On the other hand, the manufacturing constraints of the material distribution in the machining directions of stiffeners are implemented by an improved piecewise interpolation based on a beveled cut-surface. It is proven that the objective function is strictly continuous and differentiable with respect to the piecewise interpolation. The effects of the extended method with two different constraints are highlighted by typical numerical examples. Compared with the standard topology optimization, the final designs have clearly shown the layout of stiffeners and the joint loads have been perfectly constrained to a satisfying level.

Parameterized level set method for structural topology optimization based on the Cosserat elasticity

When describing the mechanical behavior of some engineering materials,such as composites,grains,biological materials and cellular solids,the Cosserat continuum theory has more powerful capabilities compared with the classical Cauchy elasticity since an additional local rotation of point and its counterpart(couple stress)are considered in the Cosserat elasticity to represent the material microscale effects.In this paper,a parameterized level set topology optimization method is developed based on the Cosserat elasticity for the minimum compliance problem of the Cosserat solids.The influence of material characteristic length and Cosserat shear modulus on the optimized structure is investigated in detail.It can be found that the microstructural constants in the Cosserat elasticity have a significant impact on the optimized topology configurations.In addition,the minimum feature size and the geometric complexity of the optimized structure can be controlled implicitly by adjusting the parameters of the characteristic length and Cosserat shear modulus easily.Furthermore,the optimized structure obtained by the developed Cosserat elasticity based parameterized level set method will degenerate to the result by using the classical Cauchy elasticity based parameterized level set method when the Cosserat shear modulus approaches zero.

Structural-acoustic topology optimization analysis based on evolutionary structural optimization approach

The continuum structural-acoustic topology optimization with external loading is investigated herein. Finite element method （FEM） is used to obtain the structural frequency response and boundary element method （BEM） is adopted to perform exterior acoustic radiation analysis. The evolutionary structural optimization （ESO） is served as an optimization method in structural-acoustic radiation topology analysis. The acoustic radiation optimization of a plate under harmonic excitation is given for example. The numerical results show that using ESO solution to analyze structural-acoustic topology optimization is feasible and effective.

Customized Design for Ergonomic Products via Additive Manufacturing Considering Joint Biomechanics

This paper presents a customized design method for ergonomic products via additive manufacturing(AM)con-sidering joint biomechanics.An ergonomic customized design model can be built based on kinesiology involving human joint biomechanics.Manifolds of the human bone can be reconstructed from X-rays,computed tomog-raphy(CT),magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),and direct 3D scanning.The conceptual and detailed design of customized products were implemented on ergonomic shoes and insoles.A lightweight lattice structure with vari-able porosity was generated via structural topology optimization for an ergonomic customized design.Notably,the upper surface of the custom-made insole may adhere perfectly to the plantar surface of the patient,resulting in a lower peak plantar pressure.Finite element analysis(FEA)can be employed to simulate the static or dynamic biomechanical characteristics.The conceptual ergonomic products were forwarded to the machine and fabricated via AM,driven by visual digital twin techniques.The experiments proved that a customized design suitability method for wearable ergonomic products via 3D printing is specifically tailored to the rehabilitation needs of individual customers,while consuming the least cost,time,and materials.