Topology optimization of Stokes flow using an implicit coupled level set method

• Published in: Applied mathematical modelling Vol. 40; no. 9-10; pp. 5431 - 5441
• Main Authors: Duan, Xianbao, Qin, Xinqiang, Li, Feifei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.05.2016
• Subjects: Computational efficiency; Computational fluid dynamics; Fluid flow; Fluids; Joining; Level set method; Material distribution method; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Shape sensitivity analysis; Stokes problem; Topology optimization; Topology optimization; Stokes problem; Shape sensitivity analysis; Level set method; Material distribution method
• ISSN: 0307-904X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apm.2015.12.040

•A novel algorithm for topology optimization of the Stokes problem.•Level set method is implicitly coupled with the material distribution method.•The proposed method does not evolve the boundary explicitly.•This method takes full advantage of the features of the fluid flow. We present a novel algorithm for the topology optimization of the Stokes problem. The level set method is implicitly coupled with the material distribution information to obtain the interface of the fluid flow. The design objective is to minimize the dissipated power in the fluid, subject to a fluid volume constraint. The proposed method takes full advantage of the features of the fluid flow. Furthermore, due to the level set method, this method is efficient and the boundaries can be described accurately. Two benchmark test examples are presented to illustrate that this new method is computational efficiency, robust, accurate and consistent with the results obtained in the context of shape and topology optimization of the fluids.