Topology optimization of thermally actuated compliant mechanisms considering time-transient effect

• Published in: Finite elements in analysis and design Vol. 40; no. 11; pp. 1317 - 1331
• Main Authors: Li, Ying, Saitou, Kazuhiro, Kikuchi, Noboru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2004
• Subjects: Compliant mechanism; Thermal actuation; Time-transient effect; Topology optimization; Compliant mechanism; Topology optimization; Thermal actuation; Time-transient effect
• ISSN: 0168-874X; 1872-6925
• DOI: 10.1016/j.finel.2003.05.002

Thermal transducers, which can be regarded as thermally actuated compliant mechanisms, have found a wide range of applications, due to easy accessibility of heat source, and due to their good controllability and reliability. During the past decade topology optimization techniques have been developed as efficient tools to design distributed compliant mechanisms and accepted by engineers. In this research, based on topology optimization, time-transient effect of heat transfer is proposed to produce the localized thermal actuation, using only simple forms of boundary heating. Non-uniform temperature distribution can be achieved by controlling the heating time before steady state is reached. Two numerical examples are presented. The resulting technique can be applied to design a novel type of integral attachment mechanisms, which benefits the design for disassembly.