Topology Optimization under Linear Thermo-Elastic Buckling

, Proceedings of the ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 1A: 36th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference

Recommended citation: Deng, Shiguang, and Krishnan Suresh. Proceedings of the ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 1A: 36th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. August 21–24, 2016.

Abstract: This paper focuses on topology optimization of structures subject to a compressive load in a thermal environment. Such problems are important, for example, in aerospace, where structures are prone to thermally induced buckling. Popular strategies for thermo-elastic topology optimization include Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) and Rational Approximation of Material Properties (RAMP). However, since both methods fundamentally rely on material parameterization, they are often challenged by: (1) pseudo buckling modes in low-density regions, and (2) ill-conditioned stiffness matrices. To overcome these, we consider here an alternate level-set approach that relies discrete topological sensitivity. Buckling sensitivity analysis is carried out via direct and adjoint formulations. Augmented Lagrangian method is then used to solve a buckling constrained compliance minimization problem. Finally, 3D numerical experiments illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method.