Multi-objective topology optimization for fracture resistant structures: Integrating fracture nucleation and propagation
Date:
Society of Engineering Science Annual Technical Meeting 2022 (SES 2022)
Improvement of fracture behavior of structures is relevant for most engineering fields. Topology optimization has been employed to generate improved designs in many fields, yet, a few of them account for fracture. In this work, by integrating both fracture nucleation and propagation, we create a fracture-mechanics-based topology optimization framework, which systematically explores the topological space to discover mechanisms in brittle materials that lead to improved fracture behaviors. Specifically, we first introduce the parametric relationships of material properties used in fracture mechanics. Next, a unified optimization formulation is presented based on the generalized phase-field model, where multiple objectives are introduced to generate robust fracture designs. Several numerical examples will be presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed optimization formulation. We demonstrate that the proposed multi-objective topology optimization framework can effectively improve structural stiffness, strength, and toughness.