A novel substructure-based topology optimization method for the design of wing structure

Shi-hui Duan,Yu-bo Zhao,Wen-jie Guo,Ling-ge Xing

doi:10.1051/smdo/2016013

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a substructure-based method dealing with the optimal material layout of the aircraft wing structure system. In this method, the topology optimization design domain of the aircraft wing is divided into multiple subordinate topological units which are called substructure. The material layout of each subordinate topology design unit is found for maximizing the total stiffness under a prescribed material usage constraint by using the Solid Isotropic Microstructures with Penalization (SIMP) method. Firstly, the proposed method is implemented to find the optimal material layouts of a high aspect-ratio I-beam. Different division ways and material constraints of the substructure have proven important influence on the total stiffness. The design formulation is applied to the optimization of an aircraft wing. Compared with the traditional one, the proposed method can find a reasonable and clearer material layout of the wing, especially material piled up near the fixed end is pushed toward the tip or the middle of the wing. The optimized design indicates the proposed method can enhance the guidance of topology optimization in finding reasonable stiffener layouts of wing structure.

Highlights

Topology optimization has been developed as an effective approach in figuring out the structure layout and saving structural weight during the conceptual design phase [1, 2]
Most of the existing topology optimization methods set the material usage of the whole design domain as a constraint during the optimization procedure, especially in the stiffness optimization problems
Considering a typical topology optimization of a structure system as shown in Figure 1, to obtain a maximum stiffness design, engineers often set an upper bound of the material usage volume fraction for the whole topology design domain

Summary

Introduction

Topology optimization has been developed as an effective approach in figuring out the structure layout and saving structural weight during the conceptual design phase [1, 2]. A bending criterion was introduced into the topology optimization process of a wing beam in the researches of Schramm and Zhou [18]. They analyzed the stability of the wing beam and gained a better design by using the practical hierarchical approach. Aiming to solve the layout optimization of the wing structure, Wang and Zhao [19] presented a two-stage approach to find. A typical wing structure was optimized by using the proposed method

Basic definition of the substructure-based method

Optimization model

Numerical examples

Topology optimization design of a high aspect-ratio I-beam with surface load

Findings

Topology optimization design of an aircraft wing structure