Computer project in structural optimization: topology optimization using TRINITAS and a Java applet (A TEKIT project on IT in education at LiTH)

This project serves as a guided tour through topology optimization of elastic continua. As a general reference to topology optimization we give [1]. Subsequently – from Section 2 and onwards – you are asked to perform several topology optimization computations and also to compare with shape optimization computations. The project should be solved using the program TRINITAS and a Java applet 1 for interactive topology optimization. The Java applet will be used in Section 4 and TRINITAS will be used in all the others. The version of TRINITAS to be used in this project can be downloaded from the course homepage at http://www.mechanics.iei.liu.se/edu ug/tmms20/, where also the Java applet is found. For simplicity only stiffness maximization is considered. This means that we like to minimize the compliance (u(ρ)), where u(ρ) is the solution of the equilibrium equation(s) for the thickness ρ (in 2D). The design constraints on ρ include: