In the present paper, an integrated paradigm for topology optimization on complex surfaces with arbitrary genus is proposed. The approach is constructed based on the two-dimensional (2D) Moving Morphable Component (MMC) framework, where a set of structural components are used as the basic units of optimization, and computational conformal mapping (CCM) technique, with which a complex surface represented by an unstructured triangular mesh can be mapped into a set of regular 2D parameter domains numerically. A multi-patch stitching scheme is also developed to achieve an MMC-friendly global parameterization through a number of local parameterizations. Numerical examples including a saddle-shaped shell, a torus-shape shell and a tee-branch pipe are solved to demonstrate the validity and efficiency of the proposed approach. It is found that compared with traditional approaches for topology optimization on 2D surfaces, optimized designs with clear load transmission paths can be obtained with much fewer numbers of design variables and degrees of freedom for finite element analysis (FEA) via the proposed approach.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.