Topology design of composite rotor beam with gradient-based algorithms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to get the topology shape and material distribution of composite rotor beam under the requirement of cross-sectional characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – A new multi-material topology optimization method is given. Designated shear center (SC) position and stiffness terms are combined as the objective function. Multi-material model including isotropic and anisotropic materials are employed. Sensitivity analysis is given based on gradient-based algorithm, and density filtering scheme is adopted to avoid checkerboard problem. Findings – The topology design method of composite rotor beam provides innovative cross-sectional shape and material distribution method. The final topology shape like “ > ” is given for different material types and cross-sectional shape under SC position requirement. The coefficient of stiffness components has great influence on the cross-sectional final topology shape. Research limitations/implications – The proposed method is just to g...