Multi-material topology optimization using ordered SIMP interpolation

In this paper an ordered multi-material SIMP (solid isotropic material with penalization) interpolation is proposed to solve multi-material topology optimization problems without introducing any new variables. Power functions with scaling and translation coefficients are introduced to interpolate the elastic modulus and the cost properties for multiple materials with respect to the normalized density variables. Besides a mass constraint, a cost constraint is also considered in compliance minimization problems. A heuristic updating scheme of the design variables is derived from the Kuhn-Tucker optimality condition (OC). Since the proposed method does not rely on additional variables to represent material selection, the computational cost is independent of the number of materials considered. The iteration scheme is designed to jump across the discontinuous point of interpolation derivatives to make stable transition from one material phase to another. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the proposed method. Because of its conceptual simplicity, the proposed ordered multi-material SIMP interpolation can be easily embedded into any existing single material SIMP topology optimization codes.     

An isogeometrical approach to structural topology optimization by optimality criteria

The Isogeometric Analysis (IA) method is applied for structural topology optimization instead of finite elements. For this purpose, a control point based Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method is employed and the material density is considered as a continuous function throughout the design domain and approximated by the Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) basis functions. To prevent the formation of layouts with porous media, a penalization technique similar to the SIMP method is used. For optimization an optimality criteria is derived and implemented. A few examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the method. It is shown that, dissimilar to the element based SIMP topology optimization, the resulted layouts by this method are independent of the number of the discretizing control points and checkerboard free.     

Simultaneous optimization of piezoelectric actuator topology and polarization

This article addresses the problem of piezoelectric actuator design for active structural vibration control. The topology optimization method using the Piezoelectric Material with Penalization and Polarization (PEMAP-P) model is employed in this work to find the optimum actuator layout and polarization profile simultaneously. A coupled finite element model of the structure is derived assuming a two-phase material, and this structural model is written into the state-space representation. The proposed optimization formulation aims to determine the distribution of piezoelectric material which maximizes the controllability for a given vibration mode. The optimization of the layout and poling direction of embedded in-plane piezoelectric actuators are carried out using a Sequential Linear Programming (SLP) algorithm. Numerical examples are presented considering the control of the bending vibration modes for a cantilever and a fixed beam. A Linear-Quadratic Regulator (LQR) is synthesized for each case of controlled structure in order to compare the influence of the polarization profile.     

A topology optimization approach using VOF method

Topology optimization methods with continuous design variables obtained by the homogenization formula or the solid isotropic microstructure with penalty (SIMP) model are widely used in the layout of structures. In the implementation of these approaches, one must take into account several issues, e.g., irregularity of the problem, occurrence of the checkerboard pattern, and intermediate density. To suppress these phenomena, the employment of additional strategies such as the perimeter control or the filtering method will be required. In this paper, a topology optimization method which can eliminate these difficulties is developed based on the volume of fluid (VOF) method. In the method, shape design is described in terms of the VOF function. Since this function is defined by a volume fraction of material occupying each element, it can be recognized as a continuous material density in the SIMP model. Within the framework of the VOF analysis, the topology optimization procedure is reduced to a convection motion of the material density governed by a Hamilton–Jacobi equation as in the level set method. Through numerical examples, the validity of the proposed method is investigated.     

Topology optimization for designing strain-gauge load cells

Load cells are used extensively in engineering fields. This paper describes a novel structural optimization method for single- and multi-axis load cell structures. First, we briefly explain the topology optimization method that uses the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method. Next, we clarify the mechanical requirements and design specifications of the single- and multi-axis load cell structures, which are formulated as an objective function. In the case of multi-axis load cell structures, a methodology based on singular value decomposition is used. The sensitivities of the objective function with respect to the design variables are then formulated. On the basis of these formulations, an optimization algorithm is constructed using finite element methods and the method of moving asymptotes (MMA). Finally, we examine the characteristics of the optimization formulations and the resultant optimal configurations. We confirm the usefulness of our proposed methodology for the optimization of single- and multi-axis load cell structures.     

Size-dependent optimal microstructure design based on couple-stress theory

The purpose of this paper is to propose a size-dependent topology optimization formulation of periodic cellular material microstructures, based on the effective couple-stress continuum model. The present formulation consists of finding the optimal layout of material that minimizes the mean compliance of the macrostructure subject to the constraint of permitted material volume fraction. We determine the effective macroscopic couple-stress constitutive constants by analyzing a unit cell with specified boundary conditions with the representative volume element (RVE) method, based on equivalence of strain energy. The computational model is established by the finite element (FE) method, and the design density and FE stiffness of the RVE are related by the solid isotropic material with penalization power (SIMP) law. The required sensitivity formulation for gradient-based optimization algorithm is also derived. Numerical examples demonstrate that this present formulation can express the size effect during the optimization procedure and provide precise topologies without increase in computational cost.     

Design of absorbing material distribution for sound barrier using topology optimization

A topology optimization approach based on the boundary element method (BEM) and the optimality criteria (OC) method is proposed for the optimal design of sound absorbing material distribution within sound barrier structures. The acoustical effect of the absorbing material is simplified as the acoustical impedance boundary condition. Based on the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method, a topology optimization model is established by selecting the densities of absorbing material elements as design variables, volumes of absorbing material as constraints, and the minimization of sound pressure at reference surface as design objective. A smoothed Heaviside-like function is proposed to help the SIMP method to obtain a clear 0–1 distribution. The BEM is applied for acoustic analysis and the sensitivities with respect to design variables are obtained by the direct differentiation method. The Burton–Miller formulation is used to overcome the fictitious eigen-frequency problem for exterior boundary-value problems. A relaxed form of OC is used for solving the optimization problem to find the optimal absorbing material distribution. Numerical tests are provided to illustrate the application of the optimization procedure for 2D sound barriers. Results show that the optimal distribution of the sound absorbing material is strongly frequency dependent, and performing an optimization in a frequency band is generally needed.     

Demonstration of optimizing piezoelectric polarization in the design of a flextensional actuator

Much effort has gone into amplifying the displacements of actuators built around piezoelectric materials (PZTs). Some researchers have used topology optimization to design compliant mechanisms that best magnify either the geometric or mechanical advantage of piezoelectric wafers or “stack” actuators. PZTs are generally poled through the “thin” direction, so actuation by an electric field in that direction only induces eigenstrains normal to the free edges. Some researchers have shown advantages of “shear mode” actuation, and material scientists have demonstrated the ability to pole a PZT in an arbitrary direction. This work attempts to justify the inclusion of the PZT polarization vector as a design variable in the design of a flextensional actuator. We present two examples based on the “cymbal” actuator: one using a simplified model to justify off-angle polarization and another using the polarization vector as a design variable to optimize the topology of a compliant mechanism.     

Topology optimization of continuum structures subjected to pressure loading

This paper presents a generalization of topology optimization of linearly elastic continuum structures to problems involving loadings that depend on the design. Minimum compliance is chosen as the design objective, assuming the boundary conditions and the total volume within the admissible design domain to be given. The topology optimization is based on the usage of a SIMP material model. The type of loading considered in this paper occurs if free structural surface domains are subjected to static pressure, in which case both the direction and location of the loading change with the structural design. The presentation of the material is given in a 2D context, but an extension to 3D is straightforward. The robustness of the optimization method is illustrated by some numerical examples in the end of the paper. Received August 3, 1999     

Topology optimization of a cantilevered piezoelectric energy harvester using stress norm constraints

Vibrational piezoelectric energy harvesters are devices which convert ambient vibrational energy into electric energy. Here we focus on the common cantilever type in which an elastic beam is sandwiched between two piezoelectric plates. In order to maximize the electric power for a given sinusoidal vibrational excitation, we perform topology optimization of the elastic beam and tip mass by means of the SIMP approach, leaving the piezoelectric plates solid. We are interested in the first and especially second resonance mode. Homogenizing the piezoelectric strain distribution is a common indirect approach increasing the electric performance. The large design space of the topology optimization approach and the linear physical model also allows the maximization of electric performance by maximizing peak bending, resulting in practically infeasible designs. To avoid such problems, we formulate dynamic piezoelectric stress constraints. The obtained result is based on a mechanism which differs significantly from the common designs reported in literature.     

Topology optimization of couple-stress material structures

Conventional topology optimization is concerned with the structures modeled by classical theory of mechanics. Since it does not consider the effects of the microstructures of materials, the classical theory can not reveal the size effect due to material’s heterogeneity. Couple-stress theory, which takes account of the microscopic properties of the material, is capable of describing the size effect in deformations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the formulation for topology optimization of couple-stress material structures. The artificial material density of each element is chosen as design variable. Based on the basic idea of SIMP (Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization) method, the effective material stiffness matrix of couple-stress material is related to the artificial density by power law with penalty. The structural analysis is implemented by finite element method for couple-stress materials, and a 4-noded quadrilateral couple-stress element is formulated in which C ₁ continuity requirement is relaxed. Some typical problems are solved and the optimal results based on the couple-stress theory are compared with the conventional ones. It is found that the optimal topologies of couple-stress continuum show remarkable size effect.     

Finite prism method based topology optimization of beam cross section for buckling load maximization

The use of the finite element method (FEM) for buckling topology optimization of a beam cross section requires large numerical cost due to the discretization in the length direction of the beam. This investigation employs the finite prism method (FPM) as a tool for linear buckling analysis, reducing degrees of freedom of three-dimensional nodes of FEM to those of two-dimensional nodes with the help of harmonic basis functions in the length direction. The optimization problem is defined as the maximization problem of the lowest eigenvalue, for which a bound variable is introduced and set as the design objective to treat mode switching phenomena of multiple eigenvalues. The use of the bound formulation also helps the proposed optimization to treat beams having local plate buckling modes as the fundamental modes as well as beams having global buckling modes. The axial stress is calculated according to the distribution of material modulus which is interpolated using the SIMP approach. Optimization problems finding cross-section layouts from rectangular, L-shaped and generally-shaped design domains are solved for various beam lengths to ascertain the effectiveness of the proposed method.     

A discrete level-set topology optimization code written in Matlab

This paper presents a compact Matlab implementation of the level-set method for topology optimization. The code can be used to minimize the compliance of a statically loaded structure. Simple code modifications to extend the code for different and multiple load cases are given. The code is inspired by a Matlab implementation of the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method for topology optimization (Sigmund, Struct Multidiscipl Optim 21:120–127, 2001). Including the finite element solver and comments, the code is 129 lines long. The code is intended for educational purposes, and in particular it could be used alongside the Matlab implementation of the SIMP method for topology optimization to demonstrate the similarities and differences between the two approaches.     

基础简谐激励下的结构动响应拓扑优化

针对关于结构动响应拓扑优化问题的研究较少、有限元分析软件的拓扑优化模块无法实现的问题,采用变密度法研究连续体结构在基础简谐激励下的动响应拓扑优化.将基础简谐激励下的响应控制问题归结为结构在体积约束下目标点响应幅值最小化的优化模型;推导有阻尼结构在基础简谐激励下目标点响应幅值的灵敏度公式;采用变密度法求解该优化问题.采用多项式惩罚模型解决带惩罚的各向同性固体微结构（Solid Isotropic Microstructure with Penalization,SIMP）模型带来的附属效应现象;采用灰度过滤方法改善经典变密度法在优化过程中灰度单元收敛过慢的问题,从而减少变密度法优化的迭代步数并且使优化结果更清晰.以平面悬臂板模型为例,验证该优化方法对目标点响应幅值的优化以及灰度过滤函数对优化迭代的改善.     

Topology optimization of free vibrating continuum structures based on the element free Galerkin method

In this paper, the topology optimization design of the free vibrating continuum structures is formulated based on the element free Galerkin (EFG) method. Considering the relative density of nodes as design variable, and the maximization of the fundamental eigenvalue as an objective function, the mathematical formulation of the topology optimization model is developed using the solid isotropic microstructures with penalization (SIMP) interpolation scheme. The topology optimization problem is solved by the optimality criteria method. Finally, the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method are illustrated with several 2D examples that are widely used in the topology optimization design.     

Topology optimization for hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing

Hybrid additive-subtractive manufacturing is gaining popularity by making full use of geometry complexity produced by additive manufacturing and dimensional accuracy derived from subtractive machining. Part design for this hybrid manufacturing approach has been done by trial-and-error, and no dedicated design methodology exists for this manufacturing approach. To address this issue, this work presents a topology optimization method for hybrid additive and subtractive manufacturing. To be specific, the boundary segments of the input design domain are categorized into two types: (i) Freeform boundary segments freely evolve through the casting SIMP method, and (ii) shape preserved boundary segments suppress the freeform evolvement and are composed of machining features through a feature fitting algorithm. Given the manufacturing strategy, the topology design is produced through additive manufacturing and the shape preserved boundary segments will be processed by post-machining. This novel topology optimization algorithm is developed under a unified SIMP and level set framework. The effectiveness of the algorithm is proved through a few numerical case studies.     

Fuzzy tolerance multilevel approach for structural topology optimization

This paper presents a novel methodology, fuzzy tolerance multilevel programming approach, for applying fuzzy set theory and sequence multilevel method to multi-objective topology optimization problems of continuum structures undergoing multiple loading cases. Ridge-type nonlinear membership functions in fuzzy set theory are applied to embody fuzzy and uncertain characteristics essentially involved by the objective and constraint functions. Sequence multilevel method is used to characterize the different priorities of loading cases at different levels making contribution to the final optimum solution, which is practically beneficial to reduce the subjective influence transferred by using weighted approaches. The solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) is adopted as the density-stiffness interpolation scheme to relax the original optimization problem and indicate the dependence of material properties with element pseudo-densities. Sequential linear programming (SLP) is used as the optimizer to solve the multi-objective optimization problem formulated using fuzzy tolerance multilevel programming scheme. Numerical instabilities, such as checkerboards and mesh dependencies are summarized and a duplicate sensitivity filtering method, in favor of contributing to the mesh-dependent optimum designs, is subsequently proposed to regularize the singularity of the optimization problem. The validation of the methodologies presented in this work has been demonstrated by detailed examples of numerical applications.     

Topology optimization of three-dimensional non-centrosymmetric micropolar bodies

The topology optimization problem for linearly elastic micropolar solids is dealt with. The constituent materials are supposed to lack in general of centro-symmetry, which means that force stresses and microcurvatures are coupled, and so are couple stresses and micropolar strains. The maximum global stiffness is taken as objective function. According to the SIMP model, the constitutive tensors are assumed to be smooth functions of the design variable, that is, the material density. Optimal material distributions are obtained for several significant three-dimensional cases. The differences respect to the optimal configurations obtained with classical Cauchy materials and centrosymmetric materials are pointed out. The influence of the constants defining the non-centrosymmetric behaviour on the optimal configurations is discussed.     

The SRV constraint for 0/1 topological design

In density-based topological design, 0/1 solutions are often sought, that is, one expects that the final design includes either elements with full material or no material, excluding grey areas. The accepted technique for achieving binary values for the densities is to use a solid isotropic microstructure with penalization (SIMP) material for which Young’s modulus is a polynomial function of the otherwise continuous relative densities. This approach indeed enhances 0/1 solutions in a significant manner and as such it has achieved prominent status in topological design. Nevertheless, this paper proposes a possible alternative to the SIMP methodology for generating 0/1 structures. The design variables are still the densities of the finite elements but Young’s modulus is a linear function of these densities (in some sense, a SIMP material without penalty). In order to drive the solution to a 0/1 layout a new constraint, labeled the sum of the reciprocal variables (SRV), is introduced. The constraint stipulates that the SRV must be larger or equal to its value at a discrete design for a specified amount of material. It is understood that this implies a minimum gage on the design variables, a provision which is also present in the standard fixed-grid formulation to avoid singular stiffness matrices. The technique turned out to be very effective in conjunction with the method of moving asymptotes (MMA) when using topological design methods for finding optimal layouts of patches of piezo-electric (PZT) material in order to minimize the mechanical noise emanating from vibrating surfaces. It also performed satisfactorily in classical structural topological design instances, as can be seen in the numerical examples that illustrate this work.