A new hybrid topology optimization method coupling ESO and SIMP method

In this paper, a new hybrid topology optimization named ESO–SIMP which couples evolutionary structural optimization (ESO) and SIMP is proposed. In ESO–SIMP method, the relative densities of elements are taken as the design variables, and the mean compliance is selected as the objective function. The mathematical model of topology optimization is built, and the iterative formula based on optimization criteria is obtained. A filtering function using strain energy as sensitivity number is introduced to prevent checkerboards and to eliminate mesh independency. In the process of each iteration, elements whose relative densities are less than or equal to rejection ratio are removed from the design domain and all remained elements are entered into the next iteration. The ESO method and the SIMP method are merged together perfectly in this paper. It is found that the new ESO–SIMP method has many advantages over the ESO method and the SIMP method in terms of efficiency and robustness. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015.