On design sensitivity analysis in linear elasticity by the boundary contour method

A new derivation for design sensitivity analysis using the concept of the m aterial derivative (or total derivative), and boundary contour conversion, is presented in this paper. This derivation is carried out by first taking the material derivative of the regularized Boundary Integral Equation (BIE) with respect to a shape design variable, and then converting the resulting equations into their boundary contour version. As expected, the final desi gn sensitivity equations are identical to those presented in Ref. [1] in wh ich the opposite process, namely, conversion of the BIE into a boundary con tour version, followed by material differentiation, had been carried out. ( C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.