Simultaneous optimization of material orientation angle and shape/topology of CFRP shell structure

Abstract

The objective of this study is to develop a method for simultaneous optimization of shape, topology and orientation angle to maximize the stiffness of CFRP shell structures under volume constraints. In the optimization of orientation angle, the material directions of orthotropic anisotropic material in finite elements are used as design variable. The optimal shape is determined by the H1 gradient method for vector variables, and the optimal solutions for topology optimization and orientation angle are determined by the H1 gradient method for scalar variables. The effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed through a numerical example.