A structural shape optimization system using the two-dimensional boundary contour method

The research recently conducted has demonstrated that the Boundary Contour Method (BCM) is very competitive with the Boundary Element Method (BEM) in linear elasticity Design Sensitivity Analysis (DSA). Design Sensitivity Coe fficients (DSCs), required by numerical optimization methods, can be effici ently and accurately obtained by two different approaches using the two-dim ensional (2-D) BCM as presented in Refs. [1] and [2]. These approaches orig inate from the Boundary Integral Equation (BIE). As discussed in [2], the D SCs given by both BIE-based DSA approaches are identical, and thus the user s can choose either of them in their applications. In order to show the adv antages of this class of DSA in structural shape optimization, an efficient system is developed in which the BCM as well as a BIE-based DSA approach a re coupled with a mathematical programming algorithm to solve optimal shape design problems. Numerical examples are presented.