50 research outputs found
Isogeometric shape optimisation of shell structures using multiresolution subdivision surfaces
We introduce the isogeometric shape optimisation of thin shell structures using subdivision surfaces. Both triangular Loop and quadrilateral Catmull-Clark subdivision schemes are considered for geometry modelling and finite element analysis. A gradient-based shape optimisation technique is implemented to minimise compliance, i.e. to maximise stiffness. Different control meshes describing the same surface are used for geometry representation, optimisation and finite element analysis. The finite element analysis is performed with subdivision basis functions corresponding to a sufficiently refined control mesh. During iterative shape optimisation the geometry is updated starting from the coarsest control mesh and proceeding to increasingly finer control meshes. This multiresolution approach provides a means for regularising the optimisation problem and prevents the appearance of sub-optimal jagged geometries with fine-scale oscillations. The finest control mesh for optimisation is chosen in accordance with the desired smallest feature size in the optimised geometry.
The proposed approach is applied to three optimisation examples, namely a catenary, a roof over a rectangular domain and a freeform architectural shell roof. The influence of the geometry description and the used subdivision scheme on the obtained optimised curved geometries are investigated in detail
Isogeometric FEM-BEM coupled structural-acoustic analysis of shells using subdivision surfaces
We introduce a coupled finite and boundary element formulation for acoustic
scattering analysis over thin shell structures. A triangular Loop subdivision
surface discretisation is used for both geometry and analysis fields. The
Kirchhoff-Love shell equation is discretised with the finite element method and
the Helmholtz equation for the acoustic field with the boundary element method.
The use of the boundary element formulation allows the elegant handling of
infinite domains and precludes the need for volumetric meshing. In the present
work the subdivision control meshes for the shell displacements and the
acoustic pressures have the same resolution. The corresponding smooth
subdivision basis functions have the continuity property required for the
Kirchhoff-Love formulation and are highly efficient for the acoustic field
computations. We validate the proposed isogeometric formulation through a
closed-form solution of acoustic scattering over a thin shell sphere.
Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability of the proposed approach to handle
complex geometries with arbitrary topology that provides an integrated
isogeometric design and analysis workflow for coupled structural-acoustic
analysis of shells
Boundary element based multiresolution shape optimisation in electrostatics
We consider the shape optimisation of high-voltage devices subject to electrostatic field equations by combining fast boundary elements with multiresolution subdivision surfaces. The geometry of the domain is described with subdivision surfaces and different resolutions of the same geometry are used for optimisation and analysis. The primal and adjoint problems are discretised with the boundary element method using a sufficiently fine control mesh. For shape optimisation the geometry is updated starting from the coarsest control mesh with increasingly finer control meshes. The multiresolution approach effectively prevents the appearance of non-physical geometry oscillations in the optimised shapes. Moreover, there is no need for mesh regeneration or smoothing during the optimisation due to the absence of a volume mesh. We present several numerical experiments and one industrial application to demonstrate the robustness and versatility of the developed approach.Web of Science29759858
Boundary element based multiresolution shape optimisation in electrostatics
We consider the shape optimisation of high-voltage devices subject to electrostatic field equations by combining fast boundary elements with multiresolution subdivision surfaces. The geometry of the domain is described with subdivision surfaces and different resolutions of the same geometry are used for optimisation and analysis. The primal and adjoint problems are discretised with the boundary element method using a sufficiently fine control mesh. For shape optimisation the geometry is updated starting from the coarsest control mesh with increasingly finer control meshes. The multiresolution approach effectively prevents the appearance of non-physical geometry oscillations in the optimised shapes. Moreover, there is no need for mesh regeneration or smoothing during the optimisation due to the absence of a volume mesh. We present several numerical experiments and one industrial application to demonstrate the robustness and versatility of the developed approach.We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the EU commission through the FP7 Marie Curie IAPP project CASOPT (PIAP-GA-2008-230224). K.B. and F.C. thank for the additional support provided by EPSRC through #EP/G008531/1. J.Z. thanks for the support provided by the European Regional Development Fund in the IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence project (CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0070) and by the project SPOMECH – Creating a Multidisciplinary R&D Team for Reliable Solution of Mechanical Problems, reg. no. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0070 within the Operational Programme ‘Education for Competitiveness’ funded by the Structural Funds of the European Union and the state budget of the Czech Republic. Special thanks to Andreas Blaszczyk from the ABB Corporate Research Center Switzerland for fruitful discussions and for providing the industrial applications.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2015.05.01
Infill topology and shape optimisation of lattice-skin structures
Lattice-skin structures composed of a thin-shell skin and a lattice infill
are widespread in nature and large-scale engineering due to their efficiency
and exceptional mechanical properties. Recent advances in additive
manufacturing, or 3D printing, make it possible to create lattice-skin
structures of almost any size with arbitrary shape and geometric complexity. We
propose a novel gradient-based approach to optimising both the shape and infill
of lattice-skin structures to improve their efficiency further. The respective
gradients are computed by fully considering the lattice-skin coupling while the
lattice topology and shape optimisation problems are solved in a sequential
manner. The shell is modelled as a Kirchhoff-Love shell and analysed using
isogeometric subdivision surfaces, whereas the lattice is modelled as a
pin-jointed truss. The lattice consists of many cells, possibly of different
sizes, with each containing a small number of struts. We propose a penalisation
approach akin to the SIMP (solid isotropic material with penalisation) method
for topology optimisation of the lattice. Furthermore, a corresponding
sensitivity filter and a lattice extraction technique are introduced to ensure
the stability of the optimisation process and to eliminate scattered struts of
small cross-sectional areas. The developed topology optimisation technique is
suitable for non-periodic, non-uniform lattices. For shape optimisation of both
the shell and the lattice, the geometry of the lattice-skin structure is
parameterised using the free-form deformation technique. The topology and shape
optimisation problems are solved in an iterative, sequential manner. The
effectiveness of the proposed approach and the influence of different
algorithmic parameters are demonstrated with several numerical examples.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figure
Isogeometric FEM-BEM coupled structural-acoustic analysis of shells using subdivision surfaces
We introduce a coupled finite and boundary element formulation for acoustic
scattering analysis over thin shell structures. A triangular Loop subdivision
surface discretisation is used for both geometry and analysis fields. The
Kirchhoff-Love shell equation is discretised with the finite element method and
the Helmholtz equation for the acoustic field with the boundary element method.
The use of the boundary element formulation allows the elegant handling of
infinite domains and precludes the need for volumetric meshing. In the present
work the subdivision control meshes for the shell displacements and the
acoustic pressures have the same resolution. The corresponding smooth
subdivision basis functions have the continuity property required for the
Kirchhoff-Love formulation and are highly efficient for the acoustic field
computations. We validate the proposed isogeometric formulation through a
closed-form solution of acoustic scattering over a thin shell sphere.
Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability of the proposed approach to handle
complex geometries with arbitrary topology that provides an integrated
isogeometric design and analysis workflow for coupled structural-acoustic
analysis of shells
Topologically robust CAD model generation for structural optimisation
Computer-aided design (CAD) models play a crucial role in the design,
manufacturing and maintenance of products. Therefore, the mesh-based finite
element descriptions common in structural optimisation must be first translated
into CAD models. Currently, this can at best be performed semi-manually. We
propose a fully automated and topologically accurate approach to synthesise a
structurally-sound parametric CAD model from topology optimised finite element
models. Our solution is to first convert the topology optimised structure into
a spatial frame structure and then to regenerate it in a CAD system using
standard constructive solid geometry (CSG) operations. The obtained parametric
CAD models are compact, that is, have as few as possible geometric parameters,
which makes them ideal for editing and further processing within a CAD system.
The critical task of converting the topology optimised structure into an
optimal spatial frame structure is accomplished in several steps. We first
generate from the topology optimised voxel model a one-voxel-wide voxel chain
model using a topology-preserving skeletonisation algorithm from digital
topology. The weighted undirected graph defined by the voxel chain model yields
a spatial frame structure after processing it with standard graph algorithms.
Subsequently, we optimise the cross-sections and layout of the frame members to
recover its optimality, which may have been compromised during the conversion
process. At last, we generate the obtained frame structure in a CAD system by
repeatedly combining primitive solids, like cylinders and spheres, using
boolean operations. The resulting solid model is a boundary representation
(B-Rep) consisting of trimmed non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curves and
surfaces