Optimal topology design of structures under dynamic loads

When elastic structures are subjected to dynamic loads, a propagation probl em is considered to predict structural transient response. To achieve bette r dynamic performance, it is important to establish an optimum structural d esign method. Previous work focused on minimizing the structural weight sub ject to dynamic constraints on displacement, stress, frequency, and member size. Even though these methods made it possible to obtain the optimal size and shape of a structure, it is necessary to obtain an optimal topology fo r a truly optimal design. In this paper, the homogenization design method i s utilized to generate the optimal topology for structures and an explicit direct integration scheme is employed to solve the linear transient problem s. The optimization problem is formulated to find the best configuration of structures that minimizes the dynamic compliance within a specified time i nterval. Examples demonstrate that the homogenization design method can be extended to the optimal topology design method of structures under impact l oads.