16th Simon Stevin Lecture on Optimization in Engineering
"Recent developments in topology optimization and multiphysics applications"
Ole Sigmund
Technical University of Denmark, Department of Mechanical Engineering
www.topopt.dtu.dkKgs. Lyngby, 2800 Denmark,
Sigmund@mek.dtu.dk
flyer,
poster,
videoAbstract
Since its introduction more than two decades ago, the topology optimization methods has developed from being a simple academic design tool to becoming the preferred industrial design tool in automotive, aerospace and mechanical engineering industries throughout the world. In recent years the applications of the method have also spread to other physics and multiphysics disciplines including fluidics, acoustics, MEMS, optics and electromagnetism. Despite this success, there are still a number of unresolved issues within filtering techniques, robust design and efficiency of computations.
After a general introduction to topology optimization, the first part of the talk will review and improve on existing filtering techniques for ensuring mesh-independency, manufacturability and robustness towards manufacturing errors. Usually filtering techniques have implied grey transitions between solid and void regions and hence non-well-defined boundaries. Recently proposed projection methods may avoid this problem but create others. The projection methods may also be used to ensure designs that are tolerant towards etching and machining uncertainties.
The second part of the talk will consider efficiency of topology optimization computations. In recent work we have shown that good convergence of the optimization approach may be ensured despite bad quality of solutions. We take this idea a step further and show that topology optimization may be performed even with very crude approximations of displacement fields.
The third part of the talk will give an overview of the TopOpt groups (www.topopt.dtu.dk) recent activities within multiphysics topology optimization applications. Examples will include fluidstructure coupling, electromagnetic antenna design and photonic crystal based nano-optical devices for pulse tailoring, slow light, cavity resonances and non-linear effects for ultra-fast switching.
Biographical Information
Ole Sigmund is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Section for Solid Mechanics Technical University of Denmark. He received his Diploma, Ph.D. and Dr.Techn from the Technical University of Denmark in 1991,1995 and 2001 respectively. He has been a research assistant at University of Essen, Germany in 1991-92, and a Postdoc at Princeton University, USA in 1995-1996. He was at the Department of Solid Mechanics at the Technical University of Denmark as an assistant research professor and as an associate research professor during 1995-97 and 1997-2001 respectively. He has received numerous honours and awards. Since 2004 he is chairman for the Danish Center for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (www.dcamm.dk). His principal research interests are theoretical extensions and applications of topology optimization methods to the design of extremal materials, smart materials, compliant mechanisms, MicroElectroMechanical Systems, crashworthiness, fluid systems and wave-propagation problems in acoustics, elasticity, optics, antennas and meta-materials as well as in sustainable energy applications.
About the Lecture Series:
The "Simon Stevin Lecture Series on Optimization in Engineering" is set up in order to promote optimization in engineering. For this aim, every quarter of the year an outstanding international scholar is invited to report on latest progress in the development of optimization algorithms and their applications in engineering.
Simon Stevin (1548-1620) was a Flemish mathematician and engineer. Among other, he helped to advance the use of decimal fractions, was the first to explain the tides by the attraction of the moon, and discovered the hydrostatic paradox. He made numerous inventions, among them a wind propelled carriage with sails, the "land yacht", which once impressed Prince Maurice of Orange as it moved faster than horses, in around 1600 on the beach between Scheveningen and Petten. Simon Stevin was fond of promoting the use of science in daily life and in craftmanship, and translated various mathematical terms into dutch. Among other, he introduced the dutch word for mathematics, "wiskunde".
