Multi-scale concurrent material and structural design under mechanical and thermal loads

In the present paper, multi-scale concurrent topology optimization of material and structural design under mechanical and thermal loads is considered. To this end, the Porous Anisotropic Material with Penalization (PAMP) model which includes both microscopic material density and macroscopic material density as design variables, is employed to distribute material on two length scales in an optimal way. Corresponding problem formulation and numerical solution procedures are also developed and validated through a number of numerical examples. It is found that the proposed method is effective for the solution of concurrent material and structural optimization problems. Numerical evidences also suggest that compared with solid material, porous material with well-designed microstructure may be a better choice when thermo-elastic effects are considered.