Application of a bi-level scheme including topology optimization to the design of an aircraft pylon

In this paper, topology optimization is used to design aircraft pylons. Original results for two Airbus pylons are first presented. An innovative bi-level optimization scheme is then proposed, which combines topology and geometric optimizations. At the first level, the dimension of the design domain, that is the envelope of the structure, and the location of the fixations are variables. At the second level, topology optimization is used to determine the optimal lay-out for given geometric parameters. This bi-level scheme is used to solve the aero-structural optimization of a pylon.