Topology optimization of binary structures under design-dependent fluid-structure interaction loads

• Published in: Structural and multidisciplinary optimization Vol. 62; no. 4; pp. 2101 - 2116
• Main Authors: Picelli, R., Ranjbarzadeh, S., Sivapuram, R., Gioria, R. S., Silva, E. C. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Computational Mathematics and Numerical Analysis; Engineering; Engineering Design; Research Paper; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Laminar flow; Small displacements; Topology optimization; Binary variables; Fluid-structure interaction; Design-dependent loads; COMSOL multiphysics
• ISSN: 1615-147X; 1615-1488
• DOI: 10.1007/s00158-020-02598-0

A current challenge for the structural topology optimization methods is the development of trustful techniques to account for different physics interactions. This paper devises a technique that considers separate physics analysis and optimization within the context of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) systems. Steady-state laminar flow and small structural displacements are assumed. We solve the compliance minimization problem subject to single or multiple volume constraints considering design-dependent FSI loads. For that, the TOBS (topology optimization of binary structures) method is applied. The TOBS approach uses binary {0,1} design variables, which can be advantageous when dealing with design-dependent physics interactions, e.g., in cases where fluid-structure boundaries are allowed to change during optimization. The COMSOL Multiphysics software is used to solve the fluid-structure equations and output the sensitivities using automatic differentiation. The TOBS optimizer provides a new set of {0,1} variables at every iteration. Numerical examples show smoothly converged solutions.