Concurrent optimization method of shape and topology for natural vibration problem of shell structures

Abstract

In this paper, a concurrent optimization method of shape and topology for natural vibration design of shell structures is presented. The fundamental vibration eigenvalue is maximized under volume constraints for shape and topology optimization. The free-form optimization method for shells and the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method are respectively employed and combined effectively for shape and topology design, in which shape and fictitious homogenized-density variations are used as design variables and simultaneously determined. In other words, the optimal topology is determined in the variable design surface optimized by shape optimization. The optimal design problem is formulated as a distributed-parameter optimization problem, and the sensitivity functions with respect to shape and density variations are theoretically derived. Both the optimal shape and density variations are determined with the unified H1 gradient method, where the sensitivity functions are respectively applied as the Robin condition to the design surface in order to determine the optimal shape and topology. We also show an improved method for the spurious (or localized) mode problem of shell structures, which often occurs in the lower density region in topology optimization for vibration design. With the proposed method, shell structure for light weight and improved low-order vibration characteristics can be obtained without any design parameterization, free of numerical instabilities such as checkerboard pattern and zigzag-shape problems.

Keywords

• shape optimization
• topology optimization
• shell
• vibration eigenvalue
• simp method
• h1 gradient method