CFD shape optimization using an incomplete‐gradient adjoint formulation

A design methodology based on the adjoint approach for flow problems governed by the incompressible Euler equations is presented. The main feature of the algorithm is that it avoids solving the adjoint equations, which saves an important amount of CPU time. Furthermore, the methodology is general in the sense it does not depend on the geometry representation. All the grid points on the surface to be optimized can be chosen as design parameters. In addition, the methodology can be applied to any type of mesh. The partial derivatives of the flow equations with respect to the design parameters are computed by finite differences. In this way, this computation is independent of the numerical scheme employed to obtain the flow solution. Once the design parameters have been updated, the new solid surface is obtained with a pseudo‐shell approach in such a way that local singularities, which can degrade or inhibit the convergence to the optimal solution, are avoided. Some 2D and 3D numerical examples are shown to demonstrate the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A geometrically non‐linear piezoelectric solid shell element based on a mixed multi‐field variational formulation

This paper is concerned with a geometrically non‐linear solid shell element to analyse piezoelectric structures. The finite element formulation is based on a variational principle of the Hu–Washizu type and includes six independent fields: displacements, electric potential, strains, electric field, mechanical stresses and dielectric displacements. The element has eight nodes with four nodal degrees of freedoms, three displacements and the electric potential. A bilinear distribution through the thickness of the independent electric field is assumed to fulfill the electric charge conservation law in bending dominated situations exactly. The presented finite shell element is able to model arbitrary curved shell structures and incorporates a 3D‐material law. A geometrically non‐linear theory allows large deformations and includes stability problems. Linear and non‐linear numerical examples demonstrate the ability of the proposed model to analyse piezoelectric devices. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Integrated layout design of multi‐component system

A new integrated layout optimization method is proposed here for the design of multi‐component systems. By introducing movable components into the design domain, the components layout and the supporting structural topology are optimized simultaneously. The developed design procedure mainly consists of three parts: (i) Introduction of non‐overlap constraints between components. The finite circle method (FCM) is used to avoid the components overlaps and also overlaps between components and the design domain boundaries. (ii) Layout optimization of the components and supporting structure. Locations and orientations of the components are assumed as geometrical design variables for the optimal placement while topology design variables of the supporting structure are defined by the density points. Meanwhile, embedded meshing techniques are developed to take into account the finite element mesh change caused by the component movements. (iii) Consistent material interpolation scheme between element stiffness and inertial load. The commonly used solid isotropic material with penalization model is improved to avoid the singularity of localized deformation in the presence of design dependent loading when the element stiffness and the involved inertial load are weakened by the element material removal. Finally, to validate the proposed design procedure, a variety of multi‐component system layout design problems are tested and solved on account of inertia loads and gravity center position constraint. Solutions are compared with traditional topology designs without component. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of multi-tubular heat exchangers for optimum efficiency of heat dissipation

The optimum design of compact heat exchangers made of a linear metal cellular material is presented. A novel representation of the cylindrical multi-tubular configuration is used. The aim is to maximize the heat dissipation rate while minimizing the prescribed flow pressure by optimizing the multi-tube configuration. The optimum distribution of cellular material for square-cell morphology (cell density and size over given cylindrical cross-section) is found using a structural topology optimization approach. The optimized thermal performance is compared using numerical analysis including both axial temperature fields and variations within the cross-sectional area. The results for the effects of different cross-section shapes, thermal boundary conditions and flow rates are discussed and compared. Interestingly, the present formulation leads to a non-uniform distribution of cellular structures which mimic natural biomaterials. Based on these results, design guidelines for a compact multi-tubular heat exchanger are presented.     

The enriched space–time finite element method (EST) for simultaneous solution of fluid–structure interaction

The paper introduces a weighted residual‐based approach for the numerical investigation of the interaction of fluid flow and thin flexible structures. The presented method enables one to treat strongly coupled systems involving large structural motion and deformation of multiple‐flow‐immersed solid objects. The fluid flow is described by the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The current configuration of the thin structure of linear elastic material with non‐linear kinematics is mapped to the flow using the zero iso‐contour of an updated level set function. The formulation of fluid, structure and coupling conditions uniformly uses velocities as unknowns. The integration of the weak form is performed on a space–time finite element discretization of the domain. Interfacial constraints of the multi‐field problem are ensured by distributed Lagrange multipliers. The proposed formulation and discretization techniques lead to a monolithic algebraic system, well suited for strongly coupled fluid–structure systems. Embedding a thin structure into a flow results in non‐smooth fields for the fluid. Based on the concept of the extended finite element method, the space–time approximations of fluid pressure and velocity are properly enriched to capture weakly and strongly discontinuous solutions. This leads to the present enriched space–time (EST) method. Numerical examples of fluid–structure interaction show the eligibility of the developed numerical approach in order to describe the behavior of such coupled systems. The test cases demonstrate the application of the proposed technique to problems where mesh moving strategies often fail. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geometrical design of thermoelectric generators based on topology optimization

This paper discusses an application of the topology optimization method for the design of thermoelectric generators. The proposed methodology provides the optimized geometry in accordance with various arbitrary conditions such as the types of materials, the volume of materials, and the temperature and shape of the installation position. By considering the coupled equations of state for the thermoelectric problem, we introduce an analytical model subject to these equations, which mimics the closed circuit composed of thermoelectric materials, electrodes, and a resistor. The total electric power applied to the resistor and the conversion efficiency are formulated as objective functions to be optimized. The proposed optimization method for thermoelectric generators is implemented as a geometrical optimization method using the solid isotropic material with penalization method used in topology optimizations. Simple relationships are formulated between the density function of the solid isotropic material with penalization method and the physical properties of the thermoelectric material. A sensitivity analysis for the objective functions is formulated with respect to the density function and the adjoint equations required for calculating it. Depending on the sensitivity, the density function is updated using the method of moving asymptotes. Finally, numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multiphase topology design with optimal material selection using an inverse p‐norm function

We present an original mathematical formulation for optimizing structural topology while simultaneously identifying an optimal set of design materials that are selected from a larger set of candidate materials. This design task is analogous to that, which is commonly encountered in additive manufacturing applications in which the 3D printer can print parts containing up to 3 distinct materials that can be selected from a larger suite of usable materials. The material distribution is parameterized via the shape functions with penalization formulation in which a set of activation functions, which are derived from a partition of the unit hypercube, is used to determine the effective local elasticity modulus within a single finite element. Additionally, we introduce an inverse p‐norm function, which is used to ensure that the optimized material properties converge to a set of discrete values corresponding to the available candidate materials. The algorithm has been implemented on a set of 2D benchmark problems. Numerical results show that the formulation combining the inverse p‐norm function with the activation functions successfully produces optimized multimaterial solutions containing no more than the prescribed number of distinct materials.     

Topology optimization of structures using meshless density variable approximants

This paper proposes a new structural topology optimization method using a dual‐level point‐wise density approximant and the meshless Galerkin weak‐forms, totally based on a set of arbitrarily scattered field nodes to discretize the design domain. The moving least squares (MLS) method is used to construct shape functions with compactly supported weight functions, to achieve meshless approximations of system state equations. The MLS shape function with the zero‐order consistency will degenerate to the well‐known ‘Shepard function’, while the MLS shape function with the first‐order consistency refers to the widely studied ‘MLS shape function’. The Shepard function is then applied to construct a physically meaningful dual‐level density approximant, because of its non‐negative and range‐restricted properties. First, in terms of the original set of nodal density variables, this study develops a nonlocal nodal density approximant with enhanced smoothness by incorporating the Shepard function into the problem formulation. The density at any node can be evaluated according to the density variables located inside the influence domain of the current node. Second, in the numerical implementation, we present a point‐wise density interpolant via the Shepard function method. The density of any computational point is determined by the surrounding nodal densities within the influence domain of the concerned point. According to a set of generic design variables scattered at field nodes, an alternative solid isotropic material with penalization model is thus established through the proposed dual‐level density approximant. The Lagrangian multiplier method is included to enforce the essential boundary conditions because of the lack of the Kronecker delta function property of MLS meshless shape functions. Two benchmark numerical examples are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, in particular its applicability in eliminating numerical instabilities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetohydrodynamic poiseuille flow through a porous medium

Abstract

This paper is concerned with formulating equations for the flow of an electrically conducting fluid through a non‐conducting porous medium with non‐porous and non‐conducting boundaries. Equations are developed for the general case of the flow of a solid‐fluid suspensions; flow through a porous medium is treated as a special case by letting the velocity of the particle phase goes to zero. Two cases are considered. Exact solution is obtained for the case of flow between parallel plates, but for flow in pipes of square and circular cross sections, the equations have to be solved numerically. The numerical technique developed can treat elliptical cross sections as well. The flow in all cases is assumed to be steady, laminar, incompressible, viscous, and fully developed. The results are presented in terms of a parameter which measures the resistance of the porous medium.     

Lightweight design of bus frames from multi-material topology optimization to cross-sectional size optimization

A comprehensive solution for bus frame design is proposed to bridge multi-material topology optimization and cross-sectional size optimization. Three types of variables (material, topology and size) and two types of constraints (static stiffness and frequencies) are considered to promote this practical design. For multi-material topology optimization, an ordered solid isotropic material with penalization interpolation is used to transform the multi-material selection problem into a pure topology optimization problem, without introducing new design variables. Then, based on the previously optimal topology result, cross-sectional sizes of the bus frame are optimized to further seek the least mass. Sequential linear programming is preferred to solve the two structural optimization problems. Finally, an engineering example verifies the effectiveness of the presented method, which bridges the gap between topology optimization and size optimization, and achieves a more lightweight bus frame than traditional single-material topology optimization.     

Prediction of incidence effects on oscillating airfoil aerodynamics by a locally analytical method

A complete mathematical model is formulated to analyse the effects of mean flow incidence angle on the unsteady aerodynamics of an oscillating airfoil in an incompressible flow field. A velocity potential formulation is utilized. The steady flow is independent of the unsteady flow field. However, the unsteady flow is coupled to the steady flow field through the boundary conditions on the oscillating airfoil. The numerical solution technique for both the steady and unsteady flow fields is based on a locally analytical method. In this method, analytical solutions are incorporated into the numerical technique, with the discrete algebraic equations which represent the differential flow field equations obtained from analytic solutions in individual local computational grid elements. This flow model and locally analytic numerical solution method are then verified through the excellent correlation obtained with the Theodorsen oscillating flat plate and Sears transverse gust classical solutions. The effects of mean flow incidence on the steady and oscillating airfoil aerodynamics are then investigated.     

Finite element analysis of time-dependent inelastic deformation in the presence of transient thermal stresses

A finite element formulation for the solution of time-dependent inelastic deformation problems for metallic structures, in the presence of transient thermal stresses, is presented in this paper. A rate formulation of the equations is used and any of a number of recently proposed combined creep-plasticity constitutive models with state variables can be adopted to describe material behaviour. The computer program developed can solve planar (plane strain and stress) and axisymmetric problems. Using one of the above-mentioned constitutive models, numerical results are presented for several illustrative problems, and comparisons of results, using either the quasi-steady or the unsteady diffusion equation for the determination of the temperature field, are carried out.     

A fully coupled finite element analysis of water‐table fluctuation and land deformation in partially saturated soils due to surface loading

A fully coupled numerical model is presented for the water‐table fluctuation and land deformation in partially saturated soils due to surface loading. This numerical model is developed based on the poroelastic governing equations for groundwater flow in deforming variably saturated porous media and the Galerkin finite element method. The numerical model is verified and validated against a one‐dimensional consolidation problem concerning surface loading on a soil column which has six different initial water‐table elevations. The numerical model is then applied to a two‐dimensional consolidation problem of surface loading on a partially saturated soil at a construction site. Results from the numerical simulations of both problems show that the water table fluctuates in the partially saturated soils, and the unsaturated zone above the water table has significant effects on the consolidation behaviour of the partially saturated soils under surface loading. Such effects are caused by the permanent absorption of a portion of the mechanical loading stress and the weak hydromechanical coupling between the solid skeleton deformation field and the groundwater flow field in the unsaturated zone due to its partial saturation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simultaneous solution procedure for strong interactions of generalized Newtonian fluids and viscoelastic solids at large strains

The paper presents a methodology for numerical analyses of coupled systems exhibiting strong interactions of viscoelastic solids and generalized Newtonian fluids. In the monolithic approach, velocity variables are used for both solid and fluid, and the entire set of model equations is discretized with stabilized space–time finite elements. A viscoelastic material model for finite deformations, which is based on the concept of internal variables, describes the stress‐deformation behaviour of the solid. In the generalized Newtonian approach for the fluid, the viscosity depends on the shear strain rate, leading to common non‐Newtonian fluid models like the power‐law. The consideration of non‐linear constitutive equations for solid and fluid documents the capability of the monolithic space–time finite element formulation to deal with complex material models. The methodology is applied to fluid‐conveying cantilevered pipes in order to determine the influence of material non‐linearities on stability characteristics of coupled systems. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hybrid finite element/volume method for shallow water equations

A hybrid numerical scheme based on finite element and finite volume methods is developed to solve shallow water equations. In the recent past, we introduced a series of hybrid methods to solve incompressible low and high Reynolds number flows for single and two‐fluid flow problems. The present work extends the application of hybrid method to shallow water equations. In our hybrid shallow water flow solver, we write the governing equations in non‐conservation form and solve the non‐linear wave equation using finite element method with linear interpolation functions in space. On the other hand, the momentum equation is solved with highly accurate cell‐center finite volume method. Our hybrid numerical scheme is truly a segregated method with primitive variables stored and solved at both node and element centers. To enhance the stability of the hybrid method around discontinuities, we introduce a new shock capturing which will act only around sharp interfaces without sacrificing the accuracy elsewhere. Matrix‐free GMRES iterative solvers are used to solve both the wave and momentum equations in finite element and finite volume schemes. Several test problems are presented to demonstrate the robustness and applicability of the numerical method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical method for the evaluation of non‐linear transient moisture flow in cellulosic materials

A numerical method for the transient moisture flow in porous cellulosic materials like paper and wood is presented. The derivation of the model is based on mass conservation for a mixture containing a vapour phase and an adsorbed water phase embedded in a porous solid material. The principle of virtual moisture concentrations in conjunction with a consistent linearization procedure is used to produce the iterative finite element equations. A monolithic solution strategy is chosen in order to solve the coupled non‐symmetric equation system. A model for the development of higher order sorption hysteresis is also developed. The model is capable of describing cyclic hardening as well as cyclic softening of the equilibrium water concentration. The model is verified by comparison with the measured response to natural variations in temperature and humidity. A close agreement of the simulated results to measured data is found. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional coupled heat,moisture, and air transfer in a deformable unsaturated soil

A three‐dimensional numerical model is presented for three‐phase flow (moisture, air, and heat) in a deformable partly saturated soil with deformation calculated via a non‐linear elastic theory. The present work is an extension of a two‐dimensional analysis presented by Thomas and He. The objective of this work is the solution of problems of greater geometric complexity. The mathematical formulation of this coupled problem consists of four governing equations, developed from the principles of mass and energy conservations as well as the stress equilibrium equation. Darcy's flow law is used to describe the motion of liquid and air in the porous medium, and a Philip and de Vries type vapour flow approach is employed in the formulation. A Galerkin finite element method coupled with a finite difference recurrence relationship is used to obtain simultaneous solutions to the governing equations where pore liquid, pore air pressures, temperature and displacements are the primary variables. The method allows the non‐linear nature of the soil parameters to be modelled. Three‐dimensional 20‐noded isoparametric elements are used to simulate different types of cases for the verification of the work. Results are presented of the application of the new model to four problems, two of which are isothermal and two heating simulations. The three‐dimensional nature of the results achieved is highlighted. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simultaneous approach for compliance minimization and piezoelectric actuator design considering the polarization profile

This article addresses the compliance problem along with the piezoelectric actuator design for active vibration control. The topology structural design is obtained by solving a compliance minimization problem with volume constraint, whereas the actuator design is carried out by the maximization of a control performance index written in terms of the controllability Gramian. This measure describes the ability of the actuator to move the structure from an initial condition to a desired final state, at rest for instance, in a finite time interval. The actuator design is also characterized by the polarization profile, which is defined according to the distribution of an additional design variable. Therefore, the actuators can yield both tensile and compressing fields at different points of the structure using the same applied control voltage. To achieve this goal, a material interpolation scheme based on the solid isotropic material with penalization and the piezoelectric material with penalization and polarization (PEMAP-P) models is employed, and both the optimum structure/actuator layout and polarization profile are obtained simultaneously. The sensitivities with respect to the polarization and design variables are calculated analytically. Numerical examples are presented considering the design and vibration control for a cantilever beam, a beam fixed at both ends, and an L-bracket structure to show the efficiency of the proposed formulation. The control performance of the designed structures are analyzed employing a linear-quadratic regulator simulation, and these results are compared to verify the influence of the optimized polarization profiles.     

Topology design with optimized,self-adaptive materials

Significant performance improvements can be obtained if the topology of an elastic structure is allowed to vary in shape optimization problems. We study the optimal shape design of a two-dimensional elastic continuum for minimum compliance subject to a constraint on the total volume of material. The macroscopic version of this problem is not well-posed if no restrictions are placed on the structure topoiogy; relaxation of the optimization problem via quasiconvexification or homogenization methods is required. The effect of relaxation is to introduce a perforated microstructure that must be optimized simultaneously with the macroscopic distribution of material. A combined analytical-computational approach is proposed to solve the relaxed optimization problem. Both stress and displacement analysis methods are presented. Since rank-2 layered composites are known to achieve optimal energy bounds, we restrict the design space to this class of microstructures whose effective properties can easily be determined in explicit form. We develop a series of reduced problems by sequentially interchanging extremization operators and analytically optimizing the microstructural design fields. This results in optimization problems involving the distribution of an adaptive material that continuously optimizes its microstructure in response to the current state of stress or strain. A further reduced problem, involving only the response field, can be obtained in the stress-based approach, but the requisite interchange of extremization operators is not valid in the case of the displacement-based model. Finite element optimization procedures based on the reduced displacement formulation are developed and numerical solutions are presented. Care must be taken in selecting the discrete function spaces for the design density and displacement response, since the reduced problem is a two-field, mixed variational problem. An improper choice for the solution space leads to instabilities in the optimal design similar to those encountered in mixed formulations of the Stokes problem.     

结构拓扑优化中敏度过滤技术研究

为了抑制连续体结构拓扑优化结果中的棋盘格和灰度单元问题,借鉴粒子群优化算法中粒子状态的更新方法,提出一种改进的敏度更新技术.以结构的柔度最小为优化目标,构建了基于固体各项同性微惩罚结构的结构拓扑优化模型,根据结构的力学响应分析,采用优化准则法进行设计变量更新,进行载荷作用下二维连续体结构的拓扑优化设计,得到了材料在设计域内的最优分布.通过与已有敏度过滤技术的对比分析,验证了文中方法的正确性和有效性．