Integrated Material-Shape Optimization

Iintegrated material-shape optimization is a framework for design mechanical structures with optimal shape and the use of materials including heterogeneous and anisotropic materials.  It is a broader approach than topology optimization of a solid structure. The idea is to define an optimal interior and exterior boundary of a structure with continuously varying heterogeneous and anisotropic materials without using prescribed geometric form or material form. The key problem is to create physically meaningful models and computationally efficient techniques to define both geometric and material optimalities to satisfy the functional requirements and constraints. These functions are fulfilled with distributed compliance, inertia,  and even multiple materials. This project attempts to develop meso- or micro- components and systems with multiple materials and in multiple physics domain. Such structures are becoming increasingly important due to emerging techniques in fabrication of functionally graded materials and solid free-form manufacturing that allow local control of material composition. 

In our project we have developed a new technique based on level-set methods. The level set model allows for an implicit shape representation with changes in topology.  The models also incorporate materials in a unified fashion. Further, level set methods provide efficient and stable computation schemes. The level set based optimization techniques developed in this project form a common base for material/structural optimization.

1. Integration of shape optimization with multiple isotropic material distribution.

2. Shape/topology optimization of multi-layered structures.

3. A unified framework for geometric/material optimization..

4. Design optimization of  micro-structures of functionally graded materials.

5. Material optimization, including optimal composites or fiber-reinforced composites.

• HKSAR Research Grants Council (RGC) Competitive Earmarked Research Grant (CERG),Structural Shape and Topology Optimization Using Level-Set Methods.

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong Direst Research Grant.

• The Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), The Overseas Young Investigator Collaboration Award.