Bead pattern optimization

Plane sheet panels exhibit poor stiffness and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) performance due to their flexibility. A common and cost-effective approach in the automotive industry to improve the stiffness and NVH peformance of sheet panels is the addition of beads. However, no systematic methodology is available for determining the optimal pattern of beads in sheet metal. This research explores the feasibility of applying topology optimization methods to the bead design of sheet panels. The approach starts with adding beam elements to the shell element model of the sheet panel to simulate the stiffness improvement of the structure and then uses the topology optimization method to obtain the optimal layout of the beam elements. A cantilever plate is used to perform a preliminary study for bead pattern design and a simplified vehicle structure is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.