Topology optimization of hinge-free compliant mechanisms with multiple outputs using level set method

A method for topology optimization of hinge-free compliant mechanisms with multiple outputs using level set method is presented in this paper. The focus of this paper is on how to prevent generating the flexible hinges during the process of topology optimization of compliant mechanisms. In the proposed method, two types of mean compliances are introduced and built in the proposed multi-objective function for topology optimization of hinge-free compliant mechanisms with multiple outputs, therefore, the spring model widely used for topology optimization of compliant mechanisms is no longer needed. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.     

A multi-objective method of hinge-free compliant mechanism optimization

A new multi-objective formulation for topology synthesis of hinge-free compliant mechanisms is presented based on the SIMP method. A weighted sum formed objective function is developed by taking into consideration the input and output mean compliances. The weighting factors are set based on the information that is obtained from the previous iteration and automatically updated with each optimization iteration step. Shape sensitivity analysis is addressed. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the validity of the proposed method.     

On simultaneous shape and material layout optimization of shell structures

This work presents a computational method for integrated shape and topology optimization of shell structures. Most research in the last decades considered both optimization techniques separately, seeking an initial optimal topology and refining the shape of the solution later. The method implemented in this work uses a combined approach, were the shape of the shell structure and material distribution are optimized simultaneously. This formulation involves a variable ground structure for topology optimization, since the shape of the shell mid-plane is modified in the course of the process. It was considered a simple type of design problem, where the optimization goal is to minimize the compliance with respect to the variables that control the shape, material fraction and orientation, subjected to a constraint on the total volume of material. The topology design problem has been formulated introducing a second rank layered microestructure, where material properties are computed by a “smear-out” procedure. The method has been implemented into a general optimization software called ODESSY, developed at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering in Aalborg. The computational model was tested in several numerical applications to illustrate and validate the approach.     

An efficient moving morphable component (MMC)-based approach for multi-resolution topology optimization

In the present work, a highly efficient moving morphable component (MMC)-based approach for multi-resolution topology optimization is proposed. In this approach, high-resolution optimization results can be obtained with a smaller number of design variables and a relatively low degree of freedoms (DOFs). This is achieved by taking the advantage that the topology optimization model and the finite element analysis model are totally decoupled in the MMC-based problem formulation. A coarse mesh is used for structural response analysis and a design domain partitioning strategy is introduced to preserve the topological complexity of the optimized structures. Numerical examples are then provided so as to demonstrate that with the use of the proposed approach, computational efforts can be saved substantially for large-scale topology optimization problems.     

Adjoint parameter sensitivity analysis for the hydrodynamic lattice Boltzmann method with applications to design optimization

We present an adjoint parameter sensitivity analysis formulation and solution strategy for the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The focus is on design optimization applications, in particular topology optimization. The lattice Boltzmann method is briefly described with an in-depth discussion of solid boundary conditions. We show that a porosity model is ideally suited for topology optimization purposes and models no-slip boundary conditions with sufficient accuracy when compared to interpolation bounce-back conditions. Augmenting the porous boundary condition with a shaping factor, we define a generalized geometry optimization formulation and derive the corresponding sensitivity analysis for the single relaxation LBM for both topology and shape optimization applications. Using numerical examples, we verify the accuracy of the analytical sensitivity analysis through a comparison with finite differences. In addition, we show that for fluidic topology optimization a scaled volume constraint should be used to obtain the desired “0-1” optimal solutions.     

A new overhang constraint for topology optimization of self-supporting structures in additive manufacturing

This work falls within the scope of computer-aided optimal design, and aims to integrate the topology optimization procedures and recent additive manufacturing technologies (AM). The elimination of scaffold supports at the topology optimization stage has been recognized and pursued by many authors recently. The present paper focuses on implementing a novel and specific overhang constraint that is introduced inside the topology optimization problem formulation along with the regular volume constraint. The proposed procedure joins the design and manufacturing processes into a integrated workflow where any component can directly be manufactured with no requirement of any sacrificial support material right after the topology optimization process. The overhang constraint presented in this work is defined by the maximum allowable inclination angle, where the inclination of any member is computed by the Smallest Univalue Segment Assimilating Nucleus (SUSAN), an edge detection algorithm developed in the field of image analysis and processing. Numerical results on some benchmark examples, along with the numerical performances of the proposed method, are introduced to demonstrate the capacities of the presented approach.     

Compliant mechanism design using multi-objective topology optimization scheme of continuum structures

Topology optimization problems for compliant mechanisms using a density interpolation scheme, the rational approximation of material properties (RAMP) method, and a globally convergent version of the method of moving asymptotes (GCMMA) are primarily discussed. First, a new multi-objective formulation is proposed for topology optimization of compliant mechanisms, in which the maximization of mutual energy (flexibility) and the minimization of mean compliance (stiffness) are considered simultaneously. The formulation of one-node connected hinges, as well as checkerboards and mesh-dependency, is typically encountered in the design of compliant mechanisms. A new hybrid-filtering scheme is proposed to solve numerical instabilities, which can not only eliminate checkerboards and mesh-dependency efficiently, but also prevent one-node connected hinges from occurring in the resulting mechanisms to some extent. Several numerical applications are performed to demonstrate the validity of the methods presented in this paper.     

Reliability-based topology optimization

The objective of this work is to integrate reliability analysis into topology optimization problems. The new model, in which we introduce reliability constraints into a deterministic topology optimization formulation, is called Reliability-Based Topology Optimization (RBTO). Several applications show the importance of this integration. The application of the RBTO model gives a different topology relative to deterministic topology optimization. We also find that the RBTO model yields structures that are more reliable than those produced by deterministic topology optimization (for the same weight).     

On the influence of local and global stress constraint and filtering radius on the design of hinge-free compliant mechanisms

Distributed compliant mechanisms are components that use elastic strain to obtain a desired kinematic behavior. Compliant mechanisms obtained via topology optimization using the standard approach of minimizing/maximizing the output displacement with a spring at the output port, representing the stiffness of the external medium, usually contain one-node connected hinges. Those hinges are undesired since an ideal compliant mechanism should be a continuous part. This work compares the use of two strategies for stress constrained problems: local and global stress constraints, and analyses their influence in eliminating the one-node connected hinges. Also, the influence of spatial filtering in eliminating the hinges is studied. An Augmented Lagrangian formulation is used to couple the objective function and constraints, and the resulting optimization problem is solved by using an algorithm based on the classical optimality criteria approach. Two compliant mechanisms problems are studied by varying the stress limit and filtering radius. It is observed that a proper combination of filtering radius and stress limit can eliminate one-node connected hinges.     

Recent Advances on Topology Optimization of Multiscale Nonlinear Structures

Research on topology optimization mainly deals with the design of monoscale structures, which are usually made of homogeneous materials. Recent advances of multiscale structural modeling enables the consideration of microscale material heterogeneities and constituent nonlinearities when assessing the macroscale structural performance. However, due to the modeling complexity and the expensive computing requirement of multiscale modeling, there has been very limited research on topology optimization of multiscale nonlinear structures. This paper reviews firstly recent advances made by the authors on topology optimization of multiscale nonlinear structures, in particular techniques regarding to nonlinear topology optimization and computational homogenization (also known as FE²) are summarized. Then the conventional concurrent material and structure topology optimization design approaches are reviewed and compared with a recently proposed FE²-based design approach, which treats the microscale topology optimization process integrally as a generalized nonlinear constitutive behavior. In addition, discussions on the use of model reduction techniques is provided in regard to the prohibitive computational cost.     

Knowledge discovery in databases for determining formulation in topology optimization

Whereas topology optimization has achieved immense success, it involves an intrinsic difficulty. That is, optimized structures obtained by topology optimization strongly depend on the settings of the objective and constraint functions, i.e., the formulation. Nevertheless, the appropriate formulation is not usually obvious when considering structural design problems. Although trial-and-error to determine appropriate formulations are implicitly performed in several studies on topology optimization, it is important to explicitly support the process of trial-and-error. Therefore, in this study, we propose a new framework for topology optimization to determine appropriate formulations. The basic idea of this framework is incorporating knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) and topology optimization. Thus, we construct a database by collecting various and numerous material distributions that are obtained by solving various structural design problems with topology optimization, and find useful knowledge with respect to appropriate formulations from the database on the basis of KDD. An issue must be resolved when realizing the above idea, namely the material distribution in the design domain of a data record must be converted to conform to the design domain of the target design problem wherein an appropriate formulation should be determined. For this purpose, we also propose a material distribution-converting method termed as design domain mapping (DDM). Several numerical examples are used to demonstrate that the proposed framework including DDM successfully and explicitly supports the process of trial-and-error to determine the appropriate formulation.

     

Stress-based design of thermal structures via topology optimization

The design of thermal structures in the aerospace industry, including exhaust structures on embedded engine aircraft and hypersonic thermal protection systems, poses a number of complex design challenges. These challenges are particularly well addressed by the material layout capabilities of structural topology optimization; however, no topology optimization methods are readily available with the necessary thermoelastic considerations for these problems. This is due in large part to the emphasis on cases of maximum stiffness design for structures subjected to externally applied mechanical loads in the majority of topology optimization applications. In addition, while limited work in the literature has investigated thermoelastic topology optimization, a direct treatment of thermal stresses is not well documented. Such a treatment is critical in the design of thermal structures where excessive thermal stresses are a primary failure mode. In this paper, we present a method for the topology optimization of structures with combined mechanical and thermoelastic (temperature) loads that are subject to stress constraints. We present the necessary steps needed to address both the design-dependent thermal loads and accommodate the challenges of stress-based design criteria. A relaxation technique is utilized to remove the singularity phenomenon in stresses and the large number of stress constraints is handled using a scaled aggregation technique that has been shown previously to satisfy prescribed stress limits in mechanical problems. Finally, the stress-based thermoelastic formulation is applied to two numerical example problems to demonstrate its effectiveness.     

Topology optimization design of crushed 2D-frames for desired energy absorption history

The present work deals with topology optimization for obtaining a desired energy absorption history of a crushed structure. The optimized energy absorbing structures are used to improve the crashworthiness of transportation vehicles. The ground structure consists of rectangular 2D-beam elements with plastic hinges. The elements can undergo large rotations, so the analysis accommodates geometric nonlinearities. A quasi-static nonlinear finite element solution is obtained with an implicit backward Euler algorithm, and the analytical sensitivities are computed by the direct differentiation method.     

Shape and topology optimization for closed liquid cell materials using extended multiscale finite element method

A new multiscale shape and topology optimization method is presented to design closed liquid cell materials based on the extended multiscale finite element method, which directly captures the small scale features to the large scale computation. The multiscale optimization method firstly focuses on seeking the optimum geometrical parameters and volume expansion of the fluid in the closed liquid cells in the microscale level in terms of maximizing the macroscale mechanical response of the structure. Furthermore, a new hierarchical multiscale optimization method is developed to optimize the macroscale distributions of closed liquid cells and the microscale shape of the fluid inclusion in the cells. In the macroscale level of the multiscale optimization method, the macroscale design domain is discretized by the multiscale coarse elements, while the shape of the fluid inclusions is set to be the design parameters in the microscale level. This method is firstly utilized to minimize the system compliance of the closed liquid cell structure. Moreover, due to the fact that non-uniform volume expansions of the fluid in cells can induce the elastic action, the multiscale optimization method is further extended to design biomimetic compliant actuators of the closed liquid cell materials. The multiscale optimization methods developed are implemented in the FE-package SiPESC, and the numerical examples are carried out to validate the accuracy of the methods proposed.     

PolyTop: a Matlab implementation of a general topology optimization framework using unstructured polygonal finite element meshes

We present an efficient Matlab code for structural topology optimization that includes a general finite element routine based on isoparametric polygonal elements which can be viewed as the extension of linear triangles and bilinear quads. The code also features a modular structure in which the analysis routine and the optimization algorithm are separated from the specific choice of topology optimization formulation. Within this framework, the finite element and sensitivity analysis routines contain no information related to the formulation and thus can be extended, developed and modified independently. We address issues pertaining to the use of unstructured meshes and arbitrary design domains in topology optimization that have received little attention in the literature. Also, as part of our examination of the topology optimization problem, we review the various steps taken in casting the optimal shape problem as a sizing optimization problem. This endeavor allows us to isolate the finite element and geometric analysis parameters and how they are related to the design variables of the discrete optimization problem. The Matlab code is explained in detail and numerical examples are presented to illustrate the capabilities of the code.     

Efficient structure topology optimization by using the multiscale finite element method

Efficient SIMP and level set based topology optimization schemes are proposed based on the computation framework of the multiscale finite element method (MsFEM). In the proposed optimization schemes, the equilibrium equations are solved on a coarse-scale mesh and the design variables are updated on a fine-scale mesh. To describe more complex deformation, a multi-node coarse element is also presented in the MsFEM computation. In the MsFEM, a multiscale shape function is constructed numerically and employed to obtain the equivalent stiffness matrix and load vector of the multi-node coarse element. In the optimization schemes with the MsFEM, the coarse elements are divided into two categories: homogeneous and heterogeneous. For the homogeneous coarse elements, their multiscale shape functions are constructed only once before the iterations. Since the material distribution is varying locally in most of the iterations, one only needs to reconstruct them of a small part of the coarse elements where the material distribution is changed by comparison with that in the previous iteration step. This will save lots of computational cost. In addition, due to the independence of each coarse element, the constructions of the multiscale shape functions could be easily proceeded in parallel. In this work, the computational accuracy and efficiency of this method is investigated in detail, as well as the speedup ratio and parallel efficiency when using multiple processors to construct the multiscale shape functions simultaneously. Furthermore, several 2D and 3D examples show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed optimization schemes based on the MsFEM analysis framework.     

A new multi-objective programming scheme for topology optimization of compliant mechanisms

This paper presents an alternative method in implementing multi-objective optimization of compliant mechanisms in the field of continuum-type topology optimization. The method is designated as “SIMP-PP” and it achieves multi-objective topology optimization by merging what is already a mature topology optimization method—solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) with a variation of the robust multi-objective optimization method—physical programming (PP). By taking advantages of both sides, the combination causes minimal variation in computation algorithm and numerical scheme, yet yields improvements in the multi-objective handling capability of topology optimization. The SIMP-PP multi-objective scheme is introduced into the systematic design of compliant mechanisms. The final optimization problem is formulated mathematically using the aggregate objective function which is derived from the original individual design objectives with PP, subjected to the specified constraints. A sequential convex programming method, the method of moving asymptotes (MMA) is then utilized to process the optimization evolvement based on the design sensitivity analysis. The main findings in this study include distinct advantages of the SIMP-PP method in various aspects such as computation efficiency, adaptability in convex and non-convex multi-criteria environment, and flexibility in problem formulation. Observations are made regarding its performance and the effect of multi-objective optimization on the final topologies. In general, the proposed SIMP-PP method is an appealing multi-objective topology optimization scheme suitable for “real world” problems, and it bridges the gap between standard topological design and multi-criteria optimization. The feasibility of the proposed topology optimization method is exhibited by benchmark examples.     

Topology optimization in crashworthiness design

Topology optimization has developed rapidly, primarily with application on linear elastic structures subjected to static loadcases. In its basic form, an approximated optimization problem is formulated using analytical or semi-analytical methods to perform the sensitivity analysis. When an explicit finite element method is used to solve contact–impact problems, the sensitivities cannot easily be found. Hence, the engineer is forced to use numerical derivatives or other approaches. Since each finite element simulation of an impact problem may take days of computing time, the sensitivity-based methods are not a useful approach. Therefore, two alternative formulations for topology optimization are investigated in this work. The fundamental approach is to remove elements or, alternatively, change the element thicknesses based on the internal energy density distribution in the model. There is no automatic shift between the two methods within the existing algorithm. Within this formulation, it is possible to treat nonlinear effects, e.g., contact–impact and plasticity. Since no sensitivities are used, the updated design might be a step in the wrong direction for some finite elements. The load paths within the model will change if elements are removed or the element thicknesses are altered. Therefore, care should be taken with this procedure so that small steps are used, i.e., the change of the model should not be too large between two successive iterations and, therefore, the design parameters should not be altered too much. It is shown in this paper that the proposed method for topology optimization of a nonlinear problem gives similar result as a standard topology optimization procedures for the linear elastic case. Furthermore, the proposed procedures allow for topology optimization of nonlinear problems. The major restriction of the method is that responses in the optimization formulation must be coupled to the thickness updating procedure, e.g., constraint on a nodal displacement, acceleration level that is allowed.