A projection approach for topology optimization of porous structures through implicit local volume control

Porous structures are of valuable importance in additive manufacturing. They can also be exploited to improve damage tolerance and fail-safe behavior. This paper presents a projection approach to design optimized porous structures in the framework of density-based topology optimization. In contrast to conventional constraint approach, the maximum local volume limitation is integrated into the material interpolation model through a filtering and projection process. This paper also presents two extensions of the basic approach, including a robust formulation for improving weak structural features and mesh/design refinement for enhancing computational stability and efficiency. The applicability of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by a set of numerical minimum compliance problems. This approach can be used in a wider range of applications concerning porous structures.