Topology optimization of multiscale elastoviscoplastic structures

This paper extends current concepts of topology optimization to the design of structures made of nonlinear microheterogeneous materials. The objective is to maximize the macroscopic structural stiffness for a prescribed material volume usage while accounting for the nonlinearity and the microstructure of the material. The resulting design problem considers two scales: the macroscopic scale at which the optimization is performed and the microscopic scale at which the material heterogeneities and the nonlinearities are observed. The topology optimization at the macroscopic scale is performed by means of the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization method. The solution of the macroscopic boundary value problem requires as inputs the effective constitutive response with full consideration of the microstructure. While computational homogenization methods such as the FE2 method could be used to solve the nonlinear multiscale problem, the associated numerical expense (CPU time and memory) is highly unacceptable. In order to regain the computational feasibility of the computational scale transition, a recent model reduction technique of the authors is employed: the potential-based reduced basis model order reduction with graphics processing unit acceleration. Numerical examples show the efficiency of the resulting nonlinear two-scale designs. The impact of different load amplitudes on the design is examined. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.