PhD Courses in Denmark

Topology Optimization - Theory, Methods and Applications

DTU Department of Mechanical Engineering

General course objectives:

Introduction to and hands-on experience with the method of topology optimization



Learning objectives:

A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:

  • Understand and use existing topology optimization software for stiffness design (88- and 99-line codes)
  • Modify existing codes to change boundary conditions, loads, design domains, etc.
  • Understand principles for design sensitivity analysis and derive them for new objective functions
  • Implement topology design of compliant mechanisms
  • Understand the theory behind mathematical programming tools and implement them in topology optimization software
  • Understand the newest developments in theoretical aspects of topology optimization methods
  • Read and understand research papers on topology optimization
  • Know the historical foundation of the topology optimization method
  • Understand new applications of topology optimization in academic research and industry
  • Implement topology design of dynamic problems with harmonic loads

Contents:

The course deals with theory and practice of topology design. Topics include: • Design parametrization (interpolation schemes, composites, etc.) • Sensitivity analysis (direct and adjoint methods) • Algorithms (OC-methods, mathematical programming, convex approximation schemes and other methods) • Computational issues (checkerboards, filters, robust design, parallelization) • Applications in structural and multi-physics problems (industrial examples, MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS), wave-propagation problems) • Large scale implementation of topology optimization on parallel computers • Poster presentation on own research project