scholarly journals A new stress-based topology optimization approach for finding flexible structures

Author(s):  
Martin Noack ◽  
Arnold Kühhorn ◽  
Markus Kober ◽  
Matthias Firl

AbstractThis paper presents a new FE-based stress-related topology optimization approach for finding bending governed flexible designs. Thereby, the knowledge about an output displacement or force as well as the detailed mounting position is not necessary for the application. The newly developed objective function makes use of the varying stress distribution in the cross section of flexible structures. Hence, each element of the design space must be evaluated with respect to its stress state. Therefore, the method prefers elements experiencing a bending or shear load over elements which are mainly subjected to membrane stresses. In order to determine the stress state of the elements, we use the principal stresses at the Gauss points. For demonstrating the feasibility of the new topology optimization approach, three academic examples are presented and discussed. As a result, the developed sensitivity-based algorithm is able to find usable flexible design concepts with a nearly discrete 0 − 1 density distribution for these examples.

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neal M. Patel ◽  
Byung-Soo Kang ◽  
John E. Renaud ◽  
Andrés Tovar

Crashworthiness design is an evolving discipline that combines vehicle crash simulation and design synthesis. The goal is to increase passenger safety subject to manufacturing cost constraints. The crashworthiness design process requires modeling of the complex interactions involved in a crash event. Current approaches utilize a parametrized optimization approach that requires response surface approximations of the design space. This is due to the expensive nature of numerical crash simulations and the high nonlinearity and noisiness in the design space. These methodologies usually require a significant effort to determine an initial design concept. In this paper, a heuristic approach to continuum-based topology optimization is developed for crashworthiness design. The methodology utilizes the cellular automata paradigm to generate three-dimensional design concepts. Furthermore, a constraint on maximum displacement is implemented to maintain a desired performance of the structures synthesized. Example design problems are used to demonstrate that the proposed methodology converges to a final topology in an efficient manner.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 536-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoang Van-Nam

Introduction: Conventional topology optimization approaches are implemented in an implicit manner with a very large number of design variables, requiring large storage and computation costs. In this study, an explicit topology optimization approach is proposed by movonal morphable voids whose geometry parameters are considered as design variables. Methods: Each polygonal void plays as an empty-material zone that can move, change its shapes, and overlap with its neighbors in a design space. The geometry eters of MPMVs consisting of the coordinates of polygonal vertices are utilized to render the structure in the design domain in an element density field. The density function of the elements located inside polygonal voids is described by a smooth exponential function that allows utilizing gradient-based optimization solvers. Results & Conclusion: Compared with conventional topology optimization approaches, the MPMV approach uses fewer design variables, ensure mesh-independence solution without filtering techniques or perimeter constraints. Several numerical examples are solved to validate the efficiency of the MPMV approach.


Author(s):  
Ashok V. Kumar

Optimal layouts for structural design have been generated using topology optimization approach with a wide variety of objectives and constraints. Minimization of compliance is the most common objective but the resultant structures often have stress concentrations. Two new objective functions, constructed using an upper bound of von Mises stress, are presented here for computing design concepts that avoid stress concentration. The first objective function can be used to minimize mass while ensuring that the design is conservative and avoids stress concentrations. The second objective can be used to tradeoff between maximizing stiffness versus minimizing the maximum stress to avoid stress concentration. The use of the upper bound of von Mises stress is shown to avoid singularity problems associated with stress-based topology optimization. A penalty approach is used for eliminating stress concentration and stress limit violations which ensures conservative designs while avoiding the need for special algorithms for handling stress localization. In this work, shape and topology are represented using a density function with the density interpolated piecewise over the elements to obtain a continuous density field. A few widely used examples are utilized to study these objective functions.


Author(s):  
Ashraf O. Nassef

Auxetic structures are ones, which exhibit an in-plane negative Poisson ratio behavior. Such structures can be obtained by specially designed honeycombs or by specially designed composites. The design of such honeycombs and composites has been tackled using a combination of optimization and finite elements analysis. Since, there is a tradeoff between the Poisson ratio of such structures and their elastic modulus, it might not be possible to attain a desired value for both properties simultaneously. The presented work approaches the problem using evolutionary multiobjective optimization to produce several designs rather than one. The algorithm provides the designs that lie on the tradeoff frontier between both properties.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yundong Zhou ◽  
Yongxin Wu ◽  
Ziheng Shangguan ◽  
Zhanbin Wang

Seismic behavior of long circle tunnels is significantly influenced by the nature of input motion. This study, based on the 3D finite-element method (FEM), evaluates the effects of spatially varying seismic ground motions and uniform input seismic ground motions and their incident angles on the diameter strain rate and tensive/compressive principal stresses under different strata. It is found that (1) the spatially varying seismic ground motions induced larger diameter strain rate (radially deformation) than the uniform input seismic motion, (2) the spatially varying seismic ground motions had an asymmetric effect on the radial strain rate distributions, and (3) the rising incident angles changed the pure shear stress state into a complex stress state for tunnels under specified input motion.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Premanand Sathyanarayanamurthi ◽  
ARUNKUMAR GOPAL

Abstract The Topology Optimization design invariably shall be used in various applications like Aerojet designs, Aircraft Engineering designs and innovative systems for improving the efficiency of structure. The paper emphasizes more on general Topology Optimization design for a rectangular domain. The domain numerically analyzed with defined geometry setting and defined boundary conditions for finding the Stress and displacement. In this Topology Optimization Design synthesis, the result is suitable volume and mass reduction in the Aerojet application parts which further can be taken for Prototype development in 3D printing and experimentally test with safety characteristics and compares Objective functions chosen for design and development. The design can be used for other various automotive and aerospace devices based on deformation level and application of external forces. The Final destination of this design and development ends with passing Fatigue Endurance test cycle test pass condition in Aerojet and automotive vehicles in static and dynamic state.


2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew S. Gillman ◽  
Kazuko Fuchi ◽  
Philip R. Buskohl

Origami folding provides a novel method to transform two-dimensional (2D) sheets into complex functional structures. However, the enormity of the foldable design space necessitates development of algorithms to efficiently discover new origami fold patterns with specific performance objectives. To address this challenge, this work combines a recently developed efficient modified truss finite element model with a ground structure-based topology optimization framework. A nonlinear mechanics model is required to model the sequenced motion and large folding common in the actuation of origami structures. These highly nonlinear motions limit the ability to define convex objective functions, and parallelizable evolutionary optimization algorithms for traversing nonconvex origami design problems are developed and considered. The ability of this framework to discover fold topologies that maximize targeted actuation is verified for the well-known “Chomper” and “Square Twist” patterns. A simple twist-based design is also discovered using the verified framework. Through these case studies, the role of critical points and bifurcations emanating from sequenced deformation mechanisms (including interplay of folding, facet bending, and stretching) on design optimization is analyzed. In addition, the performance of both gradient and evolutionary optimization algorithms are explored, and genetic algorithms (GAs) consistently yield solutions with better performance given the apparent nonconvexity of the response-design space.


Author(s):  
Anant Chawla ◽  
Joshua D. Summers

Morphological charts are widely recognized tools in engineering design applications and research. However, a literature gap exists in instructing the representation and exploration of morphological charts. In this paper, an experiment is conducted to understand how morphological charts are explored and what impact functional arrangement has on it. The experiment consisted of two problem statements, each with five different functional arrangements: 1) Most to Least Important Function, 2) Least to Most Important Function, 3) Input to Output Function, 4) Output to Input Function, and 5) Random. Sixty-seven junior mechanical engineering students were provided a prepopulated morphological chart and asked to generate integrated design concepts. The generated concepts were analyzed to determine how frequently a given means is selected, how much of the chart is explored, what is the sequence of exploration, and finally the influence of function ordering on them. Experimental results indicate a tendency to focus more on the initial columns of the chart irrespective of functional order. Moreover, the Most-to-Least-Important functional order results in higher chances and uniformity of design space exploration.


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