• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.129-145
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• 2020

In typical, structural topology optimization plays a significant role to both increase stiffness and save mass of structures in the resulting design. This study contributes to a new numerical approach of topologically optimal design of Mindlin-Reissner plates considering Winkler foundation and mathematical formulations of multi-directional variable thickness of the plate by using multi-materials. While achieving optimal multi-material topologies of the plate with multi-directional variable thickness, the weight information of structures in terms of effective utilization of the material at the appropriate thickness location may be provided for engineers and designers of structures. Besides, numerical techniques of the well-established mixed interpolation of tensorial components 4 element (MITC4) is utilized to overcome a well-known shear locking problem occurring to thin plate models. The well-founded mathematical formulation of topology optimization problem with variable thickness Mindlin-Reissner plate structures by using multiple materials is derived in detail as one of main achievements of this article. Numerical examples verify that variable thickness Mindlin-Reissner plates on Winkler foundation have a significant effect on topologically optimal multi-material design results.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.335-342
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• 2005

Using higher order Mindlin plates and piezoelectric materials, eigenvalue problems are considered. Since piezoelectric crystal resonators produce a proper amount of electric signal for a thickness-shear frequency, the objective is to decouple the thickness-shear mode from the others. Design variables are the bulk material densities corresponding to the mass of masking plates for electrodes. The design sensitivity expressions for the thickness-shear frequency and mode shape vector are derived using direct differentiation method(DDM). Using the developed design sensitivity analysis (DSA) method, we formulate a topology optimization problem whose objective function is to maximize the thickness-shear component of strain energy density at the thickness-shear mode. Constraints are the allowable volume and area of masking plate. Numerical examples show that the optimal design yields an improved mode shape and thickness-shear energy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.39-66
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• 2014

This study deals with the design of bridge girder structures and consists of two parts. In the first part an optimal bridge girder topology is determined using a software based on structure compliance minimization with constraints imposed on the body mass, developed by the authors. In the second part, an original way in which the topology is mapped into a bridge girder structure is shown. Additionally, a method of converting the thickness of the bars obtained using the topology optimization procedure into cross sections is introduced. Moreover, stresses and material consumption for a girder design obtained through topology optimization and a typical truss girder are compared. Concluding, this paper shows that topology optimization is a good tool for obtaining optimal bridge girder designs.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2014

Design sensitivity analysis and topology design optimization for a piezoelectric crystal resonator are developed. The piezoelectric crystal resonator is deformed mechanically when subjected to electric charge on the electrodes, or vice versa. The Mindlin plate theory with higher-order interpolations along thickness direction is employed for analyzing the thickness-shear vibrations of the crystal resonator. Thin electrode plates are masked on the top and bottom layers of the crystal plate in order to enforce to vibrate it or detect electric signals. Although the electrode is very thin, its weight and shape could change the performance of the resonators. Thus, the design variables are the bulk material densities corresponding to the mass of masking electrode plates. An optimization problem is formulated to find the optimal topology of electrodes, maximizing the thickness-shear contribution of strain energy at the desired motion and restricting the allowable volume and area of masking plates. The necessary design gradients for the thickness-shear frequency(eigenvalue) and the corresponding mode shape(eigenvector) are computed very efficiently and accurately using the analytical design sensitivity analysis method using the eigenvector expansion concept. Through some demonstrative numerical examples, the design sensitivity analysis method is verified to be very efficient and accurate by comparing with the finite difference method. It is also observed that the optimal electrode design yields an improved mode shape and thickness-shear energy.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.494-504
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• 2006

This research proposes a reliability-based topology optimization (RBTO) using the finite element method. RBTO is a topology optimization based on probabilistic (or reliability) constraints. Young's modulus, thickness, and loading are considered as the uncertain variables and RBTO is applied to static and eigenvalue problems. The RBTO problems are formulated and a sensitivity analysis is performed. In order to compute probability constraints, two methods-RIA and PMA-are used. Several examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method by comparing the classical safety factor method.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2000.04b
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• pp.187-194
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• 2000

Weight reduction for an automobile body is being sought for the fuel efficiency and the energy conservation. One way of the efforts is adopting Ultra Light Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) concept. The ULSAB concept can be used for the light weight of an automobile door with the tailor welded blank (TWB). A design process is defined for the TWB. The inner panel of door is designed by the TWB and optimization. The design starts from an existing component. At first, the hinge and inner reinforcements are removed. In the conceptual design stage, topology optimization is conducted to find the distribution of variable thicknesses. The number of parts and the welding lines are determined from the topology design. In the detailed design process, size optimization is carried out to find thickness while stiffness constraints are satisfied. The final parting lines are determined by shape optimization.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.249-257
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• 2018

This study contributes to evaluate multiphase topology optimization design of plate-like elastic structures with constant thickness and Reissner-Mindlin plate theory. Stiffness and adjoint sensitivity formulations linked to Reissner-Mindlin plate potential energy of bending and shear are derived in terms of multiphase design variables. Multiphase optimization problem is solved through alternative active-phase algorithm with Gauss-Seidel version as an optimization model of optimality criteria. Numerical examples verify efficiency and diversity of the present topology optimization method of Reissner-Mindlin elastic plates depending on multiphase and Poisson's ratio.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.401-412
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• 1999

The purpose of this paper is to show how the Evolutionary Structural Optimization (ESO) algorithm developed by Xie and Steven can be extended to optimal design problems of thin shells subjected to thermal loading. This extension simply incorporates an evolutionary iterative process of thermoelastic thin shell finite element analysis. During the evolution process, lowly stressed material is gradually eliminated from the structure. This paper presents a number of examples to demonstrate the capabilities of the ESO algorithm for solving topology optimization and thickness distribution problems of thermoelastic thin shells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.412-418
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• 2011

Reliability-based Topology optimization(RBTO) is to get an optimal design satisfying uncertainties of design variables. Although RBTO based on homogenization and density distribution method has been done, RBTO based on BESO has not been reported yet. This study presents a reliability-based topology optimization(RBTO) using bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization(BESO). Topology optimization is formulated as volume minimization problem with probabilistic displacement constraint. Young's modulus, external load and thickness are considered as uncertain variables. In order to compute reliability index, four methods, i.e., RIA, PMA, SLSV and ADL(adaptive-loop), are used. Reliability-based topology optimization design process is conducted to obtain optimal topology satisfying allowable displacement and target reliability index with the above four methods, and then each result is compared with respect to numerical stability and computing time. The results of this study show that the RBTO based on BESO using the four methods can effectively be applied for topology optimization. And it was confirmed that DLSV and ADL had better numerical efficiency than SLSV. ADL and SLSV had better time cost than DLSV. Consequently, ADL method showed the best time efficiency and good numerical stability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.660-664
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• 2003

The optimal thickness distribution of an active damping layer is sought so that it satisfies a certain constraint on the dynamic performance of a system minimizing control efforts. To obtain a topologically optimized configuration, which includes size and shape optimization, thickness of the active damping layer is interpolated using linear functions. With the control energy as the objective function to be minimized, the state error energy is introduced as the dynamic performance criterion for the system and used lot a constraint. The optimal control gains are evaluated from LQR simultaneously as the optimization of the layer position proceeds. From numerical simulation, the topologically optimized distribution of the active damping layer shows the same dynamic performance and cost as the Idly covered counterpart, which is optimized only in terms of control gains, with less amount of the layer.