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Complex-shaped beam element and graph-based optimization of compliant mechanisms

Sauter, M. ; Kress, G. ; Giger, M. ; Ermanni, P.

In: Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2008, vol. 36, no. 4, p. 429-442

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    Title
    • Complex-shaped beam element and graph-based optimization of compliant mechanisms
    Author
    • Sauter, M.. ETH Zurich, Centre of Structure Technologies, Leonhardstrasse 27, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Kress, G.. ETH Zurich, Centre of Structure Technologies, Leonhardstrasse 27, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Giger, M.. ETH Zurich, Centre of Structure Technologies, Leonhardstrasse 27, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Ermanni, P.. ETH Zurich, Centre of Structure Technologies, Leonhardstrasse 27, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2008, vol. 36, no. 4, p. 429-442. Springer-Verlag
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:312839
    Summary
    Compliant mechanisms are designed to be intentionally flexible, providing hingeless mechanisms. This work contributes a complex-shaped beam element formulation in conjunction with the ground structure approach. We identify compliant mechanism design solutions by using evolutionary topology optimization and increase flexibility by using a parametrization concept based on graph theory. The new operators for evolutionary optimization are also explained and sample problems are used to address the question of how our contribution increases design solutions space