SHAPE SENSITIVITY AND OPTIMIZATION FOR TRANSIENT HEAT DIFFUSION-PROBLEMS USING THE BEM

A shape design sensitivity analysis (SDSA) of two-dimensional transien t heat diffusion problems is proposed based on the BIE formulation. Th e adjoint variable method is used by using the Ionescu-Cazimir integra l identity. The procedure is checked against the analytical solution i n the case of a rod example, and by numerical comparisons with the fin ite differencing for a rectangular block under thermal shock and a plu nger model. An optimal design problem is then formulated for the plung er and solved to obtain a realistic shape.