Evolutionary structural optimization for problems with stiffness constraints

This paper presents a simple evolutionary procedure based on finite element analysis to minimize the weight of structures while satisfying stiffness requirements. At the end of each finite element analysis, a sensitivity number, indicating the change in the stiffness due to removal of each element, is calculated and elements which make the least change in the stiffness; of a structure are subsequently removed from the structure. The final design of a structure may have its weight significantly reduced while the displacements at prescribed locations are kept within the given limits. The proposed method is capable of performing simultaneous shape and topology optimization. A wide range of problems including those with multiple displacement constraints, multiple load cases and moving loads are considered. It is shown that existing solutions of structural optimization with stiffness constraints can easily be reproduced by this proposed simple method. In addition some original shape and layout optimization results are presented.     

The sensitivity analysis of the drawpiece response on the finite element shape parameter

On this paper the numerical analysis of the drawing process is presented. The sensitivity analysis of the drawpiece response on the finite element shape parameter is realized. The sensitivity of stresses field on the edge and the round edge of drawpiece on the change sizes of the finite elements is defined. Precisely proportion between height and length of the finite element is examined. The analysis with the explicit method in the ANSYS LS–Dyna system is passed. The die and the stamp as not deformable bodies are accepted and with the shell finite elements are discretized. The drawpiece with the solid finite elements are discretized. Examples results of computer simulations are presented. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Probabilistic nonlinear analysis of CFR dams by MCS using Response Surface Method

This paper presents the probabilistic analysis of concrete-faced rockfill (CFR) dams according to the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) results which are obtained through the Response Surface Method (RSM). ANSYS finite element program is used to get displacement and principal stress components. First of all, some parametric studies are performed according to the simple and representative finite element model of dam body to obtain the optimum approximate model. Secondly, a sensitivity analysis is performed to get the most effective parameters on dam response. Then, RSM is used to obtain the approximate function through the selected parameters. After the performed analyses, star experimental design with quadratic function without mixed terms according to the k = 1 is determined as the most appropriate model. Finally, dam-foundation-reservoir interaction finite element model is constituted and probabilistic analyses are performed with MCS using the selected parameters, sampling method, function and arbitrary factor under gravity load for empty and full reservoir conditions. Geometrically and materially nonlinearity are considered in the analysis of dam-foundation-reservoir interaction system. Reservoir water is modeled by fluid finite elements based on the Lagrangian approach. Structural connections are modeled as welded contact and friction contact based on Coulomb’s friction law. Probabilistic displacements and stresses are presented and compared with deterministic results.     

A study of design velocity field computation for shape optimal design

Design velocity field computation is an important step in computing shape design sensitivity coefficients and updating a finite element mesh in the shape design optimization process. Applying an inappropriate design velocity field for shape design sensitivity analysis and optimization will yield inaccurate sensitivity results or a distorted finite element mesh, and thus fail in achieving an optimal solution. In this paper, theoretical regularity and practical requirements of the design velocity field are discussed. The crucial step of using the design velocity field to update the finite element mesh in the design optimization process is emphasized. Available design velocity field computation methods in the literature are summarized and their applicability for shape design sensitivity analysis and optimization is discussed. Five examples are employed to discuss applicability of these methods. It was found that a combination of isoparametric mapping and boundary displacement methods is ideal for the design velocity field computation.     

Efficient aerodynamic shape optimization in MDO context

Multidisciplinary analysis is necessary to reach physically meaningful optimum designs. For aero-structural shape optimization this means coupling two disciplines—aerodynamics and structural mechanics. In this paper, the sensitivity evaluation for aerodynamic shape optimization is considered, while taking into account the static aeroelastic effects introduced by the variations in the aerodynamic forces, which are associated with changes in the aerodynamic shape. Due to the high computational cost of a finite difference evaluation step for such a coupled problem, an extension of the adjoint approach to aeroelasticity is necessary for an efficient calculation of the sensitivities. The implementation, validation and application of such a method in the MDO context described above are presented.     

Phenomenological and Numerical Simulation of Shape Memory Alloys at Finite Strains

A phenomenological material law for pseudo elastic NiTi shape memory alloys (SMA) is presented. The model was derived from a thermodynamical framework and is well-suited to describe the thermomechanical coupled behaviour of the material. The material law, which was originally derived for small deformations, was extended to finite deformations using the Eulerian frame, in particular Hencky's logarithmic strain and the logarithmic rate. A first emphasis is on the physical interpretation of the material parameters and their identification. A second focus lies in the presentation of a structural example for the implementation of the material law into a commercial Finite Element code. Additionally a comparison of the numerical and experimental data of the presented example is performed. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

2D simulation of fluid-structure interaction using finite element method

This paper deals with pressure-based finite element analysis of fluid–structure systems considering the coupled fluid and structural dynamics. The present method uses two-dimensional fluid elements and structural line elements for the numerical simulation of the problem. The equations of motion of the fluid, considered inviscid and compressible, are expressed in terms of the pressure variable alone. The solution of the coupled system is accomplished by solving the two systems separately with the interaction effects at the fluid–solid interface enforced by an iterative scheme. Non-divergent pressure and displacement are obtained simultaneously through iterations. The Galerkin weighted residual method-based FE formulation and the iterative solution procedure are explained in detail followed by some numerical examples. Numerical results are compared with the existing solutions to validate the code for sloshing with fluid–structure coupling.     

Sensitivity analysis of partial differential equations: A case for functional sensitivity

Sensitivity analysis allows for analyzing the effects of parameter uncertainty. For functional parameters, the sensitivity of the system is described by the functional derivatives of the output variables with respect to the parameters. Approximation of each of the functional parameters by a finite number of scalars (via the finite element representation) allows one to use elementary sensitivity analysis. The functional sensitivities are easily approximated from elementary sensitivities and, being objective quantities, they allow one to evaluate the numerical quality of sensitivities. The grid density necessary for computing functional sensitivities may differ significantly from the grid required for the numerical solution of the governing equation.     

随机结构系统基于可靠性的优化设计

提出了以梁板（薄板）为基体的随机结构系统（即结构元件的面积、长度、弹性模量和强度等均为随机变量）在随机载荷作用下,基于可靠性的优化设计方法．给出了随机结构系统安全余量和系统可靠性指标的敏度表达式;给出最佳矢量型算法．首先是用改进的一次二阶矩和随机有限元法求出安全余量的可靠性指标的表达式,然后用概率网络估算(PNET)法求出系统失效概率的公式,对该式两边求导得出了系统可靠性指标的敏度表达式,进而用最佳矢量型算法进行优化设计．在优化迭代过程中,采用梯度步和最佳矢量步相结合的方法进行计算．最后给出了一个算例,说明该方法计算效率高,收敛稳定,适合工程应用．     

Shape and topological sensitivity analysis in domains with cracks

The framework for shape and topology sensitivity analysis in geometrical domains with cracks is established for elastic bodies in two spatial dimensions. The equilibrium problem for the elastic body with cracks is considered. Inequality type boundary conditions are prescribed at the crack faces providing a non-penetration between the crack faces. Modelling of such problems in two spatial dimensions is presented with all necessary details for further applications in shape optimization in structural mechanics. In the paper, general results on the shape and topology sensitivity analysis of this problem are provided. The results are of interest of their own. In particular, the existence of the shape and topological derivatives of the energy functional is obtained. The results presented in the paper can be used for numerical solution of shape optimization and inverse problems in structural mechanics.     

Optimization of fluid-structure systems by eigenvalues gap separation with sensitivity analysis

The design optimization process is frequently accompanied by repetitive time-consuming operations, through the design analysis with a few modifications in its parameters, until the required system is encountered. Whenever possible, it is more convenient to use the sensitivity analysis during the optimization, which permits a fast evaluation of the model performance without doing a completely new analysis. In this work, one methodology for obtaining dynamic optimal structural shape through parameters changing was developed for coupled fluid-structure systems, which took advantage of the modal sensitivity analysis and available nonlinear programming tools. The objective of this work is to maximize the gap between two adjacent eigenvalues in coupled fluid-structure systems, in order to avoid the resonance phenomena at a specific natural frequency interval, taking the height of the cross-section of the beam structural elements as design variables with some dimensional constraints and a constant structural volume. The sequential quadratic programming algorithm was used for solving the constrained nonlinear optimization problem, and the modal sensitivity analysis was considered for the modal prediction of the modified design, as well as for the gradient evaluation of the objective function and system's constraints, throughout the optimization. The study was verified in two-dimensional coupled fluid-structure systems, where the structural system is modeled as a beam. The implemented methodology can be applied to avoid resonant situations or to improve the vibroacoustic comfort, for example, in cabins and reservoirs.     

密封容器组合壳自由振动的精确解

给出了一类密封容器组合壳自由振动问题的精确解,基于Love经典薄壳理论,导出了具有任意经线形状的旋转壳体在轴对称振动时的基本方程,组合壳结构中球壳与柱壳的连接条件是通过连接处的变形连续性和内力平衡关系得出的。问题的数学模型被归结为常微分方程组在球壳和 壳两个区间上的特征值问题。振动模态函数是由Legendre和三角函数构造出来,并且得到了精确的频率方程。所有的计算都是在Maple程序下运行的,无论是精确的符号运算还是具有所需有效数学精度的数值计算,都表明该文所编译的Maple程序是简单而有效的。固有频率的数值结果同文献中有限元法和其它数值方法的结果作了比较。作为一个标准,该文给出的精确解对于检验各种近似方法的精密度是有价值的。     

A new mixed finite element method for the Stokes problem

We propose a new mixed formulation of the Stokes problem where the extra stress tensor is considered. Based on such a formulation, a mixed finite element is constructed and analyzed. This new finite element has properties analogous to the finite volume methods, namely, the local conservation of the momentum and the mass. Optimal error estimates are derived. For the numerical implementation of this finite element, a hybrid form is presented. This work is a first step towards the treatment of viscoelastic fluid flows by mixed finite element methods.     

Modelling of Wave Propagation using Spectral Finite Elements

For the analysis of wave propagation at high frequencies, the spectral finite element method (SFEM) is under investigation. In contrast to the conventional finite element method high-order shape functions are used. They are composed of Lagrange polynomials with nodes at the Gauß-Lobatto-Legendre points. The Gauß-Lobatto-Legendre integration scheme is applied in order to obtain a diagonal mass matrix. So, the resulting system equations can be solved efficiently. In the numerical examples, spectral finite elements with shape functions of different order are applied to a plane strain problem. The numerical examples cover structures without and with stiffness discontinuities. It is shown that the results agree well with analytical solutions. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

一种新的声椭球无限单元

提出了一种新的声椭球无限单元．这种声无限单元基于一种新的声压表达式,这种声压表达式能够更准确地代表着椭球声场的声传播模式．这种新方法的形函数类似于Burnett方法,而权函数定义为形函数和一个附加因子的乘积．因为仅需要一维的数值积分,这种新方法的代码生成十分容易,就像处理一维单元一样．耦合标准的有限元程序,这种声无限单元理论上能够高效地求解任何形状的声源的声辐射和声散射现象．简要地推导了这种新方法,并给出了这种方法详尽的推导结果．为更有效地检验该无限元方法的可行性,文中例子仅考虑无限元求解的精度,而不包括相应的有限元．使用这种新方法,精确地推导出了摆动球的理论计算公式．而长旋转椭球的例子则表明了这种方法优于边界元方法和其他声椭球无限元方法．这些例子表明了这种新方法是切实可行的．     

Finite element simulations of window Josephson junctions

This paper deals with the numerical simulation of the steady state two dimensional window Josephson junctions by finite element method. The model is represented by a sine-Gordon type composite PDE problem. Convergence and error analysis of the finite element approximation for this semilinear problem are presented. An efficient and reliable Newton-preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm is proposed to solve the resulting nonlinear discrete system. Regular solution branches are computed using a simple continuation scheme. Numerical results associated with interesting physical phenomena are reported. Interface relaxation methods, which by taking advantage of special properties of the composite PDE, can further reduce the overall computational cost are proposed. The implementation and the associated numerical experiments of a particular interface relaxation scheme are also presented and discussed.     

A posteriori finite element bounds for sensitivity derivatives of partial-differential-equation outputs

We present a Neumann-subproblem a posteriori finite element procedure for the efficient and accurate calculation of rigorous, “constant-free” upper and lower bounds for sensitivity derivatives of functionals of the solutions of partial differential equations. The design motivation for sensitivity derivative error control is discussed; the a posteriori finite element procedure is described; the asymptotic bounding properties and computational complexity of the method are summarized; and illustrative numerical results are presented.     

Computer system for kinematic and dynamic analysis synthesis of rigid and flexible multibody systems

In the paper an overview of a general numerical algorithm and program system library for deriving the kinematic constraint equations and dynamic equations of motion, as well as, computation of their first and second order partial derivatives with respect to kinematic parameters of motion, design parameters and mass and inertia characteristics for rigid and flexible multibody systems is presented. These are the main basic computational modules for implementation of kinematic and dynamic synthesis, optimization and design. The main theoretical basis consists in matrix methods for deriving the kinematic constraints and dynamic equations, as well as, the generalized Newton – Euler dynamic equations for rigid and flexible bodies, and finite element discretization in relative coordinates. Block–scheme of the computational procedures and problem oriented program compilation is presented. An example of kinematic synthesis of six–link path generating mechanism with singular points is presented. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Mesh-dependent stability for finite element approximations of parabolic equations with mass lumping

In this paper, based on some mesh-dependent estimates on the extreme eigenvalues of a general finite element system defined on a simplicial mesh, novel and sharp bounds on the permissible time step size are derived for the mass lumping finite element approximations of parabolic equations. The bounds are dependent not only on the mesh size but also on the mesh shape. These results provide guidance to the stability of numerical solutions of parabolic problems in relation to the unstructured geometric meshing. Numerical experiments on both uniform meshes and adaptive meshes are presented to validate the theoretical analysis.