Topology-optimized insulating facebrick with aerogel filling

Abstract

This research presents the design of a new clay brick filled with aerogel. The design has been performed using multi-objective topology optimization that considers both stiffness and thermal conductivity. The current research uses the free-form design method of topology optimization with set boundary conditions for the evaluation of the stiffness and thermal conductivity. The internal structure of a standard-sized brick filled with aerogel is designed in this work. The article also offers numerical evaluations that compare the performance of the new optimized design to a standard full brick. A topology optimized-brick design is presented and shown to significantly improve the thermal insulation. Suggestions for future research include performing experimentally validations.