Multiphysics Design Optimization Using an Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis

Optimal design methods involving the coupling of fluid and structural solutions are a topic of active research; particularly for aerospace applications. The paper presents a coupled fluid and structure approach to topology optimization using two commercial finite element solutions; AcuSolve and OptiStruct. A gradient based method is used to minimize the compliance of a structure subject to thermal loading. The optimal material distribution to minimize compliance is computed using the Solid-Isotropic Material with Penalty (SIMP) method available in OptiStruct. A volume fraction constraint is imposed in order to iteratively reduce the parts mass. Draw constraints are used to ensure manufacturability. The thermal loading is computed iteratively using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solution from AcuSolve. The optimization produces an innovative design which increases the heat rejection rate of the part while reducing the mass.