FINITE-ELEMENT SYNTHESIS OF STRUCTURES BASED ON THE 1ST-ORDER SENSITIVITIES

This paper proposes a method of the structural modification to attain desired structural responses. The method is based on the first-order sensitivities of the finite element solution with respect to design variables chosen adequately and a new notion that the objective design is searched in the vicinity of the baseline design. The notion is represented by the minimization of a function comprising the squared sum of the design variables and the equality constraint conditions derived from the first-order approximation of the response change from the baseline design to the objective design. The validity and fast convergence of the proposed formulation are verified by the numerical examples concerned with the shift of the vibration eigenvalue and mode shape of a truck chassis model and the shape modification of a spur gear tooth for the stress reduction.