Explicit layout optimization of complex rib-reinforced thin-walled structures via computational conformal mapping (CCM)

Abstract

Rib-reinforced thin-walled structures are commonly used in various important industrial fields. In this paper, an explicit layout optimization method is developed to design rib-reinforced thin-walled structures with complex geometries. The proposed method includes the following two key steps: (1) parameterizing the complex surfaces with the use of the Computational Conformal Mapping (CCM) technique, and (2) carrying out explicit layout optimization under the Moving Morphable Component (MMC)-based solution framework integrating with the surface cutting operation and the multi-patch stitching scheme on the parametric space. In addition, both the base panel and the reinforced ribs are modeled by 3D shell elements, which have the advantage of providing accurate mechanical analysis results for thin-walled structures with less computational effort. The proposed method can provide clear rib-reinforced layouts of thin-walled structures with complex geometries and the optimized results can be directly imported into CAD/CAE systems without any post-processing. Several representative numerical examples, including a rib-reinforced blunt shell, a rib-reinforced torus-shaped shell, a rib-reinforced flower-shaped shell and a rib-reinforced tee-branch pipe, are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.