The Optimum Shape: Automated Structural Design(General Motors Research Laboratories Symposia Series)

This book contains the papers presented at the International Symposium, "The Optimum Shape: Automated Structural Design," held at the General Motors Research Laboratories on September 3D-October 1, 1985. This was the 30th symposium in a series which the Research Laboratories began sponsoring in 1957. Each symposium has focused on a topic that is both under active study at the Research Laboratories and is also of interest to the larger technical community. While attempts to produce a structure which performs a certain task with the minimum amount of resources probably predates recorded civilization, the idea of coupling formal optimization techniques with computer-based structural analysis techniques was first proposed in the early 1960s. Although it was recognized at this time that the most fundamental description of the problem would be in terms of the shape or contours of the structure, much of the early work described the problem in terms of structural sizing parameters instead of geometrical descriptions. Within the past few years, several research groups have started to explore this more fundamental area of shape design. Initial research has raised many new questions about appropriate selection of design variables, methods of calculating derivatives, and generation of the underlying analysis problem.

Table of Contents:
Session I—Derivatives and Algorithms.- 1. Adaptive Analysis Refinement and Shape Optimization — Some New Possibilities.- 2. Material Derivative Methods for Shape Design Sensitivity Analysis.- 3. The Relationship Between the Variational Approach and the Implicit Differentiation Approach to Shape Design Sensitivities.- 4. Variational Approach to Shape Sensitivity Analysis and Optimal Design.- Session II—Analysis and Modeling for Shape Optimization.- 5. Automatic Finite Element Modeling for Use with Three-Dimensional Shape Optimization.- 6. Adaptive Finite Element Methods for Shape Optimization of Linearly Elastic Structures.- 7. Uncertainties in Engineering Design: Mathematical Theory and Numerical Treatment.- 8. Boundary Elements in Shape Optimal Design of Structures.- Session III—Applications.- 9. Shape Optimization of Three-Dimensional Stamped and Solid Automotive Components.- 10. Multidisciplinary Shape Optimization.- 11. Optimal Shape Design of Axisymmetric Structures.- 12. Shape Optimal Design by the Convex Linearization Method.- Session IV—New Frontiers in Shape Optimization.- 13. A Numerical Method for Shape Design Sensitivity Analysis and Optimization of Built-up Structures.- 14. Anomalies Arising in Analysis and Computational Procedures for the Prediction of Optimal Shape.- 15. Geometric Modeling for Structural and Material Shape Optimization.- 16. Symposium Summary and Concluding Remarks.- Symposium Participants.- Author and Contributor Index.