Smooth Boundary Topology Optimization Using B-spline and Hole Generation

A topology optimization methodology, named "smooth boundary topology optimization," is proposed to overcome the shortcomings of cell-based methods. Material boundary is represented by B-spline curves and their control points are considered as design variables. The design is improved by either creating a hole or moving control points. To determine which is more beneficial, a selection criterion is defined. Once determined to create a hole, it is represented by a new B-spline and recognized as a new boundary. Because the proposed method deals with the control points of B-spline as design variables, their total number is much smaller than cell-based methods and it ensures smooth boundaries. Differences between our method and level set method are also discussed. It is shown that our method is a natural way of obtaining smooth boundary topology design effectively combining computer graphics technique and design sensitivity analysis.