From CAD to Topology Optimization applied to parts and structures

摘要

This paper presents a contribution to the automation and integration of topology optimization methods with CAD, in the context of mechanical structures and parts' design. When topology optimization is applied to a given mechanical part, its CAD model must be subdivided into design and non-design sub-domains. From this starting point, the objective of topology optimization is generating as automatically as possible a new CAD model, which is optimized with respect to a given design objective through several finite element calculations, which are applied in order to gradually transform the initial geometry into an optimized geometry. The paper is focused on the general problems of automating topology optimization methods as well as implementing it in 3D, in the context of the product development process with CAD. The interest of the approaches proposed is illustrated through sets of optimization results, obtained from a 3D implementation of the SIMP (solid isotropic material with penalization) method based on unstructured tetrahedral meshes.