Evolutionary Crashworthiness Topology Optimization of Thin-Walled Structures

A basis for most of the state-of-the-art methods for crashworthiness topology optimization form voxel elements, being three-dimensional, regular brick finite elements. Such voxel-based optimization techniques lead to creation of so-called zigzag structures that are used as a reference for positioning of the structural beams. On the other hand, important vehicle body components are made of thin-walled sheet metal structures and the use of an optimized design obtained from any voxel-based optimization method as an inspiration for the final thin-walled structure is questionable and requires considerable manual post-processing. In this paper we propose a novel approach using evolutionary algorithms for optimization of thin-walled structures. For evaluation of the method, a 2D transverse bending of a rib-reinforced thin-walled structure is considered. A state-of-the-art Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES), combined with a suitable representation, is used for optimization of the layout of the reinforcing ribs. The results show that evolutionary optimization algorithms can be efficiently used for topology optimization of crash-loaded thin-walled structures.

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