Topology optimization for vibrating structures with the BESO method

Abstract

There is a lot of literature concerning the topology optimization of structures under static loads with the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO), but only few approaches has focus on the dynamics problems with the BESO. This paper presents the von Mises stress as a sensitivity number and a new filter scheme for the BESO method focusing on dynamics problems. Based on the proposed technique and the BESO method, we discuss two measures to reduce vibrations of structures subjected to single external harmonic loads at a user-defined point. The natural frequency-based measure (NFBM) shifts the natural frequency of the most significant mode away from the driving frequency, while the steady state dynamics-based measure (SSDBM) considers several modes and natural frequencies at the same time using modal superposition.