Parametric Shape & Topology Optimization: A New Level Set Approach Based on Cardinal Kernel Functions

The parametric level set method is an extension of the conventional level set methods for topology optimization. By parameterizing the level set function, conventional levels let methods can be easily coupled with mathematical programming to achieve better numerical robustness and computational efficiency. Furthermore, the parametric level set scheme not only can inherit the original advantages of the conventional level set methods, such as clear boundary representation and high topological changes handling flexibility but also can alleviate some un-preferred features from the conventional level set methods, such as needing re-initialization. However, in the RBF-based parametric level set method, it was deicult to determine the range of the design variables. Moreover, with the mathematically driven optimization process, the level set function often results in significant fluctuations during the optimization process. This brings difficulties in both numerical stability control and material property interpolation. In this paper, an RBF partition of unity collocation method is implemented to create a new type of kernel function termed as the Cardinal Basis Function (CBF), which employed as the kernel function to parameterize the level set function. The advantage of using the CBF is that the range of the design variable, which was the weight factor in conventional RBF, can be explicitly specified. Additionally, a distance regularization energy functional is introduced to maintain a desired distance regularized level set function evolution. With this desired distance regularization feature, the level set evolution is stabilized against significant fluctuations. Besides, the material property interpolation from the level set function to the finite element model can be more accurate.