Topology optimization of compliant mechanisms using the improved Quadrilateral Discretization mode

Topology in geometry is the learning of spatial properties of an article, which remain unchanged when the article is subjected to certain kind of alteration. It deals with the material division in a design area to achieve maximum stiffness and slightest weight. Compliant mechanism can basically be described as a sole piece flexible arrangement, which uses elastic deformation to attain the preferred force and motion transfer. Topology optimization applied to compliant mechanism should result in a formation, which has minimum weight with maximum stiffness and fits all the desired requirements.;Quadrilateral Discretization is one of the process used for topology optimization where in the design area is discretized into columns and rows of quadrilaterals. These quadrilaterals are called design cells. Each design cell is analyzed for material density and stress constraints to achieve design objective. GA (genetic algorithm) is used to conduct the sensitivity analysis and get an optimum solution. The regular quadrilateral discretization method has a few drawbacks like point connections between design cells and sharp edges of the material. In this thesis we propose to modify this quadrilateral method in such a manner which eliminates the drawbacks of ordinary discretization method.;The improved quadrilateral discretization model for the topology optimization of compliant mechanisms will be worked in my thesis. The design domain is discretized into quadrilateral design cells and each quadrilateral design cell is further divided into triangular cells. In this improved quadrilateral discretization process we remove all kinds of dangling quadrilateral cells and sharp corners. The local stress constraint is directly imposed on each triangular analysis cell to make the synthesized compliant mechanism safe. The binary bit array genetic algorithm is used to search for the optimal topology to circumvent the geometrical bias against the vertical design cells.