Data-driven topology optimization using a multitask conditional variational autoencoder with persistent homology

Abstract

Topology optimization is crucial for the mechanical design of vehicles and aircraft, allowing changes in the shape of structures and the placement of features. Recent advances have integrated deep generative models, particularly convolutional neural networks, to streamline this process.to streamline this process. However, these models struggle to preserve subtle structural features. To overcome these limitations, this study introduced a generative model adept at identifying the topological features inherent in real shapes, such as connectivity and holes, to enhance the effectiveness of topology optimization. A conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) was employed to predict both the shape and compliance simultaneously. This model, CVAE with persistent homology, generates optimal material distributions by considering topological properties. The learning process introduced a term that minimizes the difference in topological features between true and reconstructed shapes. The proposed model can generate optimal material distributions by considering topological properties, eliminating the need for iterative calculations. This approach was validated using two numerical examples. The accuracy of the generated material distributions was compared with conventional methods using the mean-squared error. An average improvement in accuracy of approximately 36.85% was observed across the two results. This confirms that shapes considering compliance and connectivity can be accurately predicted.