Design of multifunctional structure with embedded electronic circuitry using composite laminate optimization techniques

This research investigates the optimization of a multifunctional structure with embedded electronic circuitry, following traditional composite laminate optimization methods. A heavily 'de-featured' finite element model provides thermal and mechanical analyses of the structure. The model places point heat sources at the surface component locations, and the optimization problem enforces strain constraints at these locations. A simple problem seeks the least-mass I-beam whose shear web contains a simple circuit, subject to strength and strain constraints. A second problem finds the lowest mass unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) wing box configuration containing embedded circuitry subject to strength, deflection and strain constraints under two load cases. Sequential unconstrained minimization techniques and sequential quadratic programming perform the optimization; combinatorial methods are computationally impractical. Despite the model de-featuring and the use of calculus-based methods, the problem requires significant computational effort. The surface-component strain constraints result in structures with more mass than those without surface components.